Nightfall
by Moonsway
Summary: Allison begins to have the same dream every night. She doesn't know what it means or how drastically her life is about to change. Warning! Chapter 15 contains strong violence.
1. Chapter 1

Nightfall

It can't end this way, but I don't want to start my story with endings. I will start at the beginning.

I suppose that I had been dreaming about him for a long time. He was the vague, faceless stranger who appeared in all of my romantic dreams. He had probably always been in my subconscious.

When I think of a beginning, though, I'd have to say that it all started on the night before my sixteenth birthday. That was the night he took on an identity. That was the night when I finally saw his face.

I remember standing beside my bedroom window. The darkness was interrupted only by streetlights as I stared out into the night. There was no moon. Something about that felt wrong. Suddenly, I was startled by a flood of light, and I whirled around.

"What were you doing standing in the dark?" my little sister asked.

"Go away, Alex," I snapped at her, expecting a smart comment, but she just stood there regarding me with a serious expression on her face.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were okay," she finally said.

I looked at her in surprise. "Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know," she said, looking confused. "I just had a weird feeling."

Now I felt guilty for snapping at her. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"I don't think so. I just woke up, and I felt like I had to see if you were okay."

I was touched. "Well, I'm fine except for being too excited to sleep."

She glanced at the clock on my nightstand, which read 11:50. "It's almost your birthday, isn't it?" she said worriedly.

"Yes. For once I'll be awake to see it in, but it's late, and you should go back to sleep."

"Okay," she said. "As long as you're okay."

No arguments. That was a first. "I'm perfectly fine," I told her. Now, goodnight."

"Goodnight," she said as she moved toward the door.

An affection I wasn't usually aware of filled my heart. "Alex," I called after her.

She stopped and turned to look at me with worried eyes.

"I love you." It had been a long time since I'd told her that.

She hurried back and threw her arms around me in a fierce hug. "I love you, too, Allison," she said desperately.

Startled, I hugged her back. Before I could say anything else, she had stepped back away from me.

"Your window is open," she accused.

"So?" I was trying to keep up with her abrupt change of conversation, but she had turned away from me to shut and lock the window.

"Don't let anyone in," she warned.

"Let anyone in!" I repeated incredulously. Before I could point out that my room was on the second floor, and that a person would need a ladder to get in through the window, Alex had walked out of my room.

"She must have had a nightmare," I mumbled to myself. I turned back to the window, but I was suddenly too tired to care whether it was open or closed. I dragged myself to the light switch and flicked it off. I barely made it to the bed before I collapsed. I just couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. Somehow, I managed to get under the covers before darkness overtook me.

The next thing I knew, I was outside. A gentle breeze was the only thing to disturb the quiet as I stood in the moonlight, waiting for him. Then, he was there, and I was lost in his kiss.

The dream didn't fade when I opened my eyes as dreams usually do. My heart was still pounding with excitement. Slowly, I took in my surroundings and remembered where I was and who I was. It was only a dream, I told myself as I gazed at the sunshine streaming through my bedroom window. It was a beautiful day.

And I could still feel that kiss.

I grabbed the pad and pencil from my nightstand and did a quick sketch. For a few minutes, I stared at the face I had drawn. Even from that hurried drawing, you could tell that he was—as my friend Jenny would say—a total babe.

Then I remembered what day it was. I put the sketch pad away and sprang out of bed, hurrying to my mirror to see if I looked any different. Ever since I was a little girl, I had been sure that this magical day would transform me somehow. It seemed to me that there was a difference, although I couldn't pinpoint it at first. The reflection that greeted me contained the same average body and the same ordinary features as always.

Finally, I realized that the change had taken place inside of me. It was the kiss, I thought. It had made me feel special. But that had only been a dream, even though it had felt so real. But then, I asked myself, how would you know what a real kiss feels like? Somehow, that thought didn't seem to worry me the way it usually did. I wasn't even nervous about the party. Before that morning, I had been obsessing over it for months.

The smell of breakfast cooking made me realize that I was hungry. I had been so nervous and excited the night before that I had hardly been able to eat anything for dinner. I threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and bounded down the stairs.

"Happy birthday," my family said in unison as I ran into the kitchen.

"Boy," my dad said as he took the bacon from the frying pan and loaded it onto a plate. "Someone is full of energy today."

My mom stood beside the sink with a bowl in her hand. She had a sentimental smile on her face. "Sweet sixteen," she said softly.

"And never been kissed!" yelled Alex, who was seated at the table, fork in hand, even though there was no food yet set before her to attack. Apparently, she was back to being "The Pest."

Usually, after a comment like that I would have been ready to draw blood, but I was in too good of a mood. Remembering my dream, I just smiled.

"Alex," Dad said. "Settle down."

"Who wants scrambled eggs?" Mom asked.

"I do!" Alex yelled.

Dad gave her a look.

I laughed. "Me, too."

Alex bounced around in her seat. "I can't wait for the party. It's gonna be great!"

It was my turn to raise my voice. "No way are you going to be there. Mom, you said she was going to sleep over Grandma's"

"Both of you, settle down," Dad said.

Mom came out of her daze. "Alex, you know you're staying with Grandma tonight."

"Why can't I stay here?" Alex pouted.

"I'll tell you why," I said before either one of our parents could respond. "Because I'm not having a little ten-year-old brat ruin the most important party of my life."

Alex rolled her eyes. "It's just a party, Allison. I hope I'm not this goofy when I get to be sixteen."

"I don't see how you could get any goofier."

"What are you gonna do that you can't do in front of me? Do you think any guy is really gonna want to kiss you?"

"Well, they sure as hell are never going to want to kiss you," I shot back.

"That's enough," Mom said.

"You smell," Alex taunted. "And—"

"Settle down!" Dad shouted.

Alex and I looked at each other and cracked up. Mom shook her head. Breakfast was peaceful after that, which allowed my mind to wander. I thought about my party, but mostly I was remembering my dream. My thoughts were interrupted by Alex.

"I want to give you your present now," she announced excitedly, jumping off her chair and running upstairs.

Mom sighed. "One of these days, someone is going to get hurt by not taking their time on those stairs."

Alex came flying back downstairs and halted beside me. She held out a small package. I took it from her, wondering what in the world it could be. If I didn't know better, I thought, I would believe it was jewelry.

She waited expectantly. "Open it now."

I tore the wrapping to reveal a little white box. I pulled the top off of it and took out the black velvet box I found inside the first box. I thought it had to be a joke. Surely, it would be empty, but it wasn't.

"Alex," I gasped.

"Do you like it?" she asked anxiously.

"Yes, but—"

"Where did you get the money to pay for that?" Mom broke in.

"From my savings," Alex answered proudly.

We all knew about Alex's savings. It was a piggy bank in her room where she kept all the money she received for her birthdays and Christmas. I had always spent mine at the first opportunity, but she saved hers. Now she had spent a good portion of it on my present.

Our parents looked dumbfounded. I knew how they felt. I couldn't believe it myself as I removed the gold cross and chain from the box.

"Do you like it?" Alex asked again.

"It's beautiful." I stood up and gave her a hug. "Thank you."

The little brat is full of surprises lately, I thought, but I was starting to get choked up. I couldn't get over how sweet this was of her. She motioned for me to lean down so she could help me put on the necklace. I hugged her again. "It's a great present."

"Do you promise never to take it off?"

I stared at her. What an odd request. The worried look in her eyes reminded me of the night before. I began to feel uneasy. Several light knocks drew my attention to the back door. I could see through the screen that it was Alex's best friend, Scott.

"Come in," Mom called.

Scott opened the door and stepped inside. "Hi."

We all answered him except for Alex. "Do you promise?" she repeated.

The phone rang, and Dad answered it. "Allison, it's for you."

Alex was still waiting for an answer and grabbed my arm to get my attention.

"Sure, I promise." I caught the relieved look on her face before I turned away to answer the phone.


	2. Sweet Sixteen

Sweet Sixteen

I picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Happy birthday!" It was my best friend, Jenny.

"Thanks," I said as I watched Alex walk out the front door with Scott. I smiled when I saw them run over to the hedge and peer over it. They thought they were detectives and were forever spying on people.

"What's wrong?" Jenny asked. "Are you nervous about tonight?"

"No, I just in shock. Alex gave me a gold necklace for my present."

"Wow," Jenny said. "And you're always complaining about what a pest she is."

"I know. Most of the time she is, but now I feel guilty."

I could almost see Jenny waving that remark away. "Don't feel guilty. Just enjoy it. You've been waiting a long time for this day, so just enjoy it."

I smiled. Jenny certainly lived by that philosophy. She knew how to have fun, but she wasn't selfish. She wanted other people to have a good time, too. "Well, I'm all for that."

"Speaking of enjoying yourself," Jenny continued. "I know that Josh Connors is definitely going to be at your party."

Now I was getting nervous. "How do you know that?"

"I asked him."

"Jenny!" I screeched.

"Don't worry. I was subtle."

I snorted. "You? Subtle?"

"I really think he likes you," Jenny said, ignoring my comments.

Jenny sighed. "What you need is some confidence."

That wasn't anything she hadn't told me before. "What did he say?"

"When I asked him if he was going to your party, he said definitely."

"That doesn't mean that he likes me," I said.

"It was the way he said it and the look in his eyes when I said your name."

I smiled in amusement. Sometimes Jenny could exaggerate more than Alex. "Well, I guess I'll find out tonight." I was surprised to realize that my stomach wasn't tied up in knots at this prospect.

"Definitely," Jenny said and laughed. "Now we better prepare for The Event."

"Yeah, I think I bought enough decorations."

"I'll be right over."

"Now," Mom said as I hung up the phone. "It's time to give you our present." She placed a large package down on the kitchen table, from which all the breakfast dishes had been cleared.

Even though I already knew what it was, because I had picked it out myself, I was still excited as I ripped off the wrapping paper and opened the box. "Thank you," I said as I happily pulled out the beautiful blue dress that I had immediately fallen in love with when I had spotted it at the store.

Dad handed me a small package. "You might want to take a look in here."

I stared at my parents in amazement.

Mom winked. "Did you think we wouldn't have a birthday surprise for you?"

Once again, I tore the paper and found a white box containing a black velvet box. Inside the latter was a pretty pair of dangling gold earrings. "Oh," I cried. "Thank you so much!" I hugged Mom first and then Dad.

I took my presents up to my room and put them away for later. Then I went down to the basement and started sorting through the decorations I had bought. Jenny arrived as I was opening a bag of balloons, and she helped me put up all of the decorations. We also spent a lot of time talking, and Jenny stayed for lunch. After that we went up to my room so that I could show her the presents from my parents, as she had already seen Alex's present.

"Wow," Jenny said, looking at my new dress. "If Josh isn't in love with you already, he will be after he sees you in this."

I laughed. "It's that easy, huh?"

Jenny smiled her I-know-men smile. "Trust me. It's a sure thing."

All day long, I had considered telling her about my dream, but I hadn't. She was my best friend, and we told each other everything, but I hadn't told her about this. Who cares, I asked myself. It's just a dream. Why would you tell her about it? I was unable to forget about the dream, however. I felt like half of me was here preparing for the party and talking to Jenny, and the other half was still caught up in that dream kiss.

Jenny was looking at one of my paintings. It was one I had done some time ago of a castle—a real castle, not like the illustrations in fairytale books. I had told Jenny that I had seen it on TV. She was continually amazed at my ability to draw things from memory, except I had lied. I didn't ever remember seeing that castle on TV. Maybe I had dreamed about it.

"One day, Allison, when you're a rich and famous artist, I'll be able to say I knew you way back when."

I was already thinking about painting the guy from my dream. "Most artists are starving."

"You won't be," Jenny said with conviction. "You are incredibly talented."

"I won't quit my day job just yet."

"You don't have a day job. You have no job to speak of."

"All the more reason not to quit," I said, managing to put on a serious face.

Jenny grabbed a pillow from my bed and threw it at me. We had a brief pillow fight until she noticed the time. It was four o'clock, and my party was starting at seven.

"I better go. I've got to make myself gorgeous."

"You're gorgeous already," I said truthfully. Because we had been good friends for such a long time, I would sometimes forget about her looks. To me she was Jenny, not the beauty that everyone else saw. It was because of Jenny that any of the popular kids noticed me. Everyone sure noticed her.

Every once in awhile, I would look at her and really notice her appearance like someone who had never seen her before would. "Talk about being rich and famous; you have more chance of that happening than I do. Someday, you'll be a famous model with your face on the cover of every magazine."

"It's too late for false flattery. I already bought your present."

One thing about Jenny, she wasn't conceited. I walked her to the door and told her that I'd see her later. Then I went back upstairs to take a shower and wash my hair. Three hours sounds like a long time, but I managed to fill most of it up with said shower, drying and curling my hair, painting my nails, saying bye to Alex, getting dressed, putting on make-up, and generally making sure that everything was ready for the party.

When I was done, I stood before the mirror one last time to make sure I looked okay. My shoulder-length blond hair now framed my face in soft curls. There was a hint of blush on my cheeks, and my lips were an inviting shade of red. My new dress seemed to deepen the blue of my eyes. The bodice of the dress clung to what curves I had, while the skirt flared below my waist and fell to several inches above my knees. It was a far cry from the t-shirt, jeans, and lip gloss I usually wore.

When I walked downstairs, Dad did a double take. "You didn't tell me that dress was so short," he mumbled to Mom.

I rolled my eyes, but Mom just smiled. "You look beautiful." She was ready with her camera, and she smiled again after she had taken a few pictures of me. "You have such a glow today. Did you invite a special boy to your party?"

"Yes," I said, but I'd hardly thought of Josh all day.

"What's his name?" Dad asked.

Luckily, I was saved from having to answer by the arrival of Jenny and her boyfriend. If I looked better than usual on this occasion, Jenny was absolutely stunning in her little black dress. There was nothing really daring about the cut, but Jenny had such an incredible body that you just couldn't help but notice her curves. Unlike mine, her naturally wavy blond hair was luminous.

Her striking green eyes sparkled as she handed me my present. "Happy birthday, Allison."

"Yeah," said Andrew Sumner. Happy birthday."

Andrew was the quarterback of our school's football team. He seemed nice enough, although I didn't know him very well. I never had time to really get to know any of Jenny's boyfriends. She said that we were too young for long commitments, so she didn't get serious with her romantic relationships. She had more experience with boys than I did, but only when it came to kissing.

Jenny and Andrew went downstairs to the basement, while I stayed upstairs for awhile to answer the door. Josh arrived about ten minutes later.

"Hi," he said. "You look great!"

"Thanks. So do you." I was amazed at myself. I had never been able to talk to a guy that easily before.

His smile lit up his face as his warm brown eyes gazed into mine. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks. Everyone is downstairs in the basement." I pointed out the way. "I'll be down soon."

"Great." He gave me another smile before he walked off in the direction I had told him.

I had never noticed him look at me that way before. But then, I had always been too nervous to look him in the eye. Several more people arrived, and then I went downstairs to join the party. In my absence, Jenny had been in charge of the music and making sure that everyone knew where the snacks and drinks were located. She had been over so much, she knew my house as well as her own. My parents had agreed to come down only when it was time for the cake. In the meantime, they were upstairs in the living room watching TV.

"You are so lucky that your birthday falls on a Saturday this year," Jenny told me.

"It's great down here," Andrew said.

"Yeah," I agreed to both of their comments. I looked around. The basement was one huge room running under the entire house. There was a small laundry area against one wall, and a long dining table near another wall. There were several couches here and there along the rest of the room. Kids were seated in most of them, while some people were grabbing snacks from the dining room table. A few boys were messing around by the pool table.

I saw that Josh had spotted me and was walking toward me. Jenny gave me an I-told-you-so look that made me laugh.

Josh was beside me now. "Nice place."

My parents had given me no time limit for the party. That was my mom's doing. "Sixteen is a very special birthday in a girl's life," she had told my father.

Gradually, people loosened up as they began to feel more at home in there surroundings. We had pizza for dinner, and then I opened my presents. Josh had gotten me a cool CD, which Jenny immediately put on for us to enjoy. Jenny's present was a pretty summer top. She was not a big fan of my t-shirts.

"Now you need to go shopping for a skirt to go with it. I will do my duty as your best friend and go to the mall with you."

"What? Did your parents ban you from there again?"

Jenny wrinkled her nose. "Actually, they said that I should get a job there, since I spend so much of my time on the premises."

After I had opened all of my presents, I went upstairs to tell my parents that we were ready for cake. Dad carried it downstairs and set it down on the table. Mom arranged sixteen candles on it and lit them while we all gathered around the table. As everyone sang Happy Birthday to me, I thought about what I should wish for. I wish for true love, I decided as I took a big breath and blew out all the candles in a single try. Everyone clapped and cheered.

My parents took a couple pieces for themselves and left me to serve the rest of the cake to my friends. After we'd had our fill of cake, we played a few silly games. Then Jenny dragged Andrew to the middle of the floor to dance with her. Soon other people got up to dance, too. Some of the other kids had turned on the TV to watch a horror movie and comment loudly on the death scenes.

There was a steady hum of noise in the room, along with lots of flirting. Josh was sitting next to me on one of the couches, and nobody was paying attention to us. Someone had dimmed the lights, setting a romantic mood that encouraged us to do our own flirting. It was one of those times in life when everything is going right, and an hour seems like five minutes.

Eventually, I became aware of the fact that Josh and I were leaning back on the couch, and that he had his arm around me. I had often daydreamed about being this close to him, but the reality was much better than anything I had imagined.

"You are so pretty." Josh was gazing intently at me. "I'm glad you invited me to your party."

"Me, too." A nervous energy coursed through me, causing a fluttering sensation in my stomach.

Josh leaned toward me. My heart was racing with excitement as his lips met mine. The kiss was wonderful—everything that a first kiss should be. Josh's face was flushed when we broke apart. He looked so cute that it made me smile. In my perception, everything had taken on a dreamy, magical quality.

"Do you want to go to the movies with me next Saturday?" Josh asked.

"Yes," I said. "That would be nice."

He smiled. "Great."

The party was starting to break up, and people were coming up to me to say goodbye. Josh stayed by my side as I walked upstairs with them to the front door. Jenny and Andrew were among the last to leave.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Jenny said, giving me a look that spoke volumes.

Finally, Josh gave me a quick kiss goodnight.

I couldn't stop smiling. "I'll see you in school on Monday."

"Definitely," Josh answered with a smile.

Leaving the cleanup for tomorrow, I wished my parents a goodnight and went up to my room to get ready for bed. Before I brushed my teeth, I touched my lips for a moment and thought about how perfect my birthday had been. These thoughts stayed with me until I turned off the light and got into bed.

As I closed my eyes, my mind sought another rendezvous with the boy of my dreams. There had been an undeniably powerful attraction between us. It had been something wild and impossible to control or contain. Something, I now realized, that was very far removed from the giddy innocence of a first kiss.


	3. Moonlight Kiss

" Moonlight Kiss

I was outside again. The moonlight seemed almost as bright as day. The night was cooler than I remembered, but I didn't mind even though I wasn't wearing a jacket. I looked down at myself and saw that I was dressed like a heroine from the cover of one of those historical romance novels, and I had a figure to rival Jenny's body.

I pulled a strand of long, dark hair off of my face. My hair, I realized, hung down my back all the way to my waist. I longed for a mirror so that I could see my face. A moment later I didn't need one, because a young man emerged from the shadows of the trees. By the look in his eyes, I could tell that I was beautiful. That hardly mattered anymore, because he took over all of my senses.

Even though this time I knew it was a dream, I was still completely mesmerized by the young man in front of me. Neither one of us spoke as he moved toward me. Then there was only his kiss.

I awoke reluctantly, still drunk on that kiss. I wanted to return to the dream, but I couldn't fall back asleep. Finally, I gave up and got out of bed. The dream lingered in my mind the way it had the day before. I took only enough time to dress before I placed a fresh canvas on my easel and prepared my paints. Then I began to paint the young man from my dream.

I don't know how long I worked, since I hadn't glanced at the clock when I got up. I just remember being completely caught up in what I was doing until someone barged into the room without knocking. Of course, it was Alex.

"Aren't you ever going to get up?" Her voice was loud in the silence.

"I'm up," I replied calmly.

"Mom said to come down for lunch now," she said as she stepped closer to me.

"Okay, I'll be down in a minute."

"What are you painting?" She was standing beside me now.

"Someone from a dream," I said without thinking.

She lost interest. "Okay, I'm going to eat."

I put my painting materials away and went downstairs. The phone rang before I could reach the kitchen. I still felt like I was coming out of a trance. When I painted, it was like I was in another world, and I always felt slightly disoriented when I returned to reality.

"Allison!" Alex yelled at the top of her lungs.

"I'm right here," I said as I walked into the kitchen.

"It's Jenny."

"Thanks." I took the phone from her. "Hi."

"Hi," Jenny said. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"No, I was already up." I had forgotten that Jenny was waiting to hear the details from last night. Josh had kissed me. It all came back to me then.

"I remember I slept until two the day after my sixteenth birthday party. Anyway, I know you can't talk right now. I'll be over in half an hour to help you clean."

"Okay, I'll see you then." I hung up the phone and sat down to eat lunch. Jenny's birthday had been in November, which was why she already had her driver's license. She often drove me places, but I still couldn't wait to get my own license. I would have to borrow one of my parents' cars, but I would have so much more freedom.

I could tell that Alex was disappointed, because she hadn't been able to learn anything from my telephone conversation. Now she would have to take the direct route.

"So, how was the party?"

I took pity on her. "It was fun. I saved you a piece of cake. You can have it after lunch, and I'll show you all of my presents later."

She smiled. "Thanks, Allison. I had fun, too. Grandma read my cards."

Dad groaned. "That woman with her hocus pocus nonsense."

"It's harmless," Mom said lightly, but she had a serious look on her face.

Alex had been talking about tarot cards. Our grandmother didn't advertise herself as a fortune teller or anything like that. The occult was just something she had been interested in ever since I could remember. I agreed with Mom that it was all just harmless fun.

"She said that I have second sight," Alex continued excitedly. "Just like she does."

Dad just shook his head. "Well, maybe I should have you pick out the lottery numbers next time."

Mom ignored him. "Really," she said to Alex in a strained voice. "What else did she say?"

"She said that I had a struggle ahead of me, but that I would win."

Scott arrived then, prompting Alex to jump up and fling open the refrigerator door. She found the piece of cake I had saved for her. Grabbing a knife and two forks, she returned to the table. She handed Scott one of the forks and proceeded to cut the piece of cake down the middle. "You can have half."

My parents and I looked at each other and smiled. Sometimes Alex could be so sweet. I wondered what had been the matter with Mom, but she seemed to have relaxed now. We watched Alex and Scott polish off the piece of cake in what seemed like five seconds. I was still finishing my lunch when they went outside to play. Jenny arrived while I was loading the dishwasher.

"We're going to a movie," Dad announced. "Keep an eye on Alex."

"Okay," I said. "We'll be here cleaning up."

"Alright," Jenny said after my parents left. "Now we can really talk."

I grabbed a garbage bag and led the way into the basement. "Yeah, Alex is outside, too."

"So, was I right about Josh liking you or was I right?"

I laughed. "You were right."

"I want details."

I set aside pop cans for recycling and began to throw paper plates and napkins in the garbage bag. "It was nice."

Jenny was taking down the party decorations. "Nice! You've been lusting after this guy all year, and all you can say is it was nice?"

"Okay, I admit, there were definitely butterflies. It's just, well, there were so many people around."

"Once he gets you alone, you'll be swept off your feet," Jenny said knowingly.

Alone, I thought, remembering my dream. It had been like we were the only two people on earth.

Jenny broke into my thoughts. "When are you going out with him again?"

"Again? I haven't gone out with him at all yet."

"The party counts," Jenny said firmly. "He spent the whole night with you. Therefore, he was your date."

"Well," I said with a secret smile. "Not the whole night."

Jenny misunderstood. "Get your mind out of the gutter. Did he or did he not ask you out?"

"We're going to the movies next Saturday."

"Try to sound a little enthusiastic. What's wrong? Don't you like Josh anymore?"

I couldn't believe how distracted I was by a mere dream. "Of course I like him. I just have so much to do. I can't wait until school is over."

"I know what you mean. I can't believe I have so much homework due on top of studying for finals."

"I know," I said. "I still have to finish my report for English that I have to hand in tomorrow. I couldn't concentrate on Friday."

"I haven't done any homework all weekend either." Jenny smiled then. "Only two more weeks left until summer. I'm going to spend every day at the pool and have the best tan."

"You always do. Speaking of that, I have to get a new bathing suit."

Jenny's eyes lit up when I mentioned shopping. "Finally! I can't believe you wore that thing two years in a row. This time get a bikini."

"Okay, maybe."

Jenny looked determined. "No maybe. We'll go shopping together, and I'll help you find a skirt to go with the top I got you, plus a killer bikini. This is going to be your summer, Allison."

After we finished cleaning, Jenny sighed and said that she guessed she'd better go home and do her homework. I brought all of my books down and sat at the kitchen table working on my report until my parents came home. Then I took everything back up to my room and continued writing my report until dinner was ready. Alex had returned from playing outside by then, and she chattered about her adventures throughout dinner. Since it was her turn to load the dishwasher, I went back up to my room as soon as I was done eating.

After I finally finished my report, I took a shower and went to bed. I wasn't disappointed that night. I had the dream again.


	4. Dreaming

Dreaming

My alarm clock announced the arrival of Monday morning. I dragged myself out of bed and into reality. I had to focus on school and my everyday existence, but the dream was always at the back of my mind now. In the space of only a few days, it had become very important to me. I didn't stop to think that there was something strange about this.

It seemed like everyone in our house was always in a rush on Mondays, so we had milk and cereal for breakfast. Scott came by to walk Alex to the bus stop as usual. They had time to watch TV, but I had to leave since high school classes began earlier in the day than elementary school. My school was close enough to walk to, so I had no bus service. It was already warm outside. The summer was shaping up to be a scorcher.

Jenny and I had both decided that this would be our last summer to goof off. We were planning to get after school jobs in the fall and to work next summer. We wanted to have our own wheels instead of having to borrow our parents' cars. Jenny met me by my locker. Andrew was now driving her to school, and she looked fresh and cool while I was sweating from my walk. We talked while I put my things away and took out the books I needed.

"See you later," she said with a wink.

She knew that Josh was in my first period math class. He was already there when I walked into the room, and he smiled when he saw me. I smiled back, thinking that he really was a good-looking guy. I would be willing to bet that I hadn't been the only girl in school with a crush on him.

We talked for a few minutes until the teacher arrived. Then we all had to hurry back to our own desks. As I handed in my homework, I was thinking about when I would have time to finish my new painting. The rest of the day passed in lectures and only a few homework assignments. Our teachers stressed the importance of studying for finals. Math was the only class that Josh and I had together, but we sat at the same table with Jenny and Andrew during lunch.

The whole week took on the same pattern. I had to admit that it was fun being part of a couple. Josh and I complained about our homework and teachers we didn't like. We talked about everyday things and got to know each other a little better with each passing day. We had exchanged phone numbers, but neither one of us had called the other one yet. I guess we were waiting until after our date, when it would be more official that we were a couple.

I was beginning to feel like I was two people. There was the daytime me who went to school and had a family, friends, and a new boyfriend. Then there was the dream me who was beautiful and consumed with passion for her love, whom she met every night for moonlight kisses.

Every day after school, Alex and I would prepare dinner and put it in the oven. Then she would go outside to play, and I would go straight up to my room to paint for awhile. When my parents got home from work, they made the salad and we had dinner. If it wasn't my turn to clear the table, I would go back up to my room and dutifully do my homework. Jenny and I talked on the phone every day. Mostly it was about guys, the weekend, and summer. Sometimes I watched a little TV with my family.

Always, though, a part of me was waiting for the night. My parents no longer had to remind me when it was time to go to bed. Sleeping was now my favorite pastime, or more accurately, dreaming. My daily life, as pleasant at it was, had started to pale in comparison to my dream world.

Time began to slip away from me, and Friday arrived before I knew it. Josh met me by my locker after school and walked outside with me. We talked for awhile while he waited for his bus.

"Well, there's my bus." Josh smiled at me. "I can't wait for tomorrow."

"Me, too," I said, but I was already thinking about tonight.

When I got home, I immediately went upstairs to paint. Our parents always took us out to eat on Friday evenings, so Alex and I didn't have to cook dinner tonight. I always seemed to leave my homework for Sundays, no matter how many times I told myself I'd do it on Friday. Anyway, all I had left to do was study for my finals.

It seemed that I had just started painting when my parents arrived home. Dinner and the rest of the evening sped by for me. On the way home, we dropped Alex off at Scott's house. His parents had rented Dracula for them to watch, and they were going to have popcorn, she told us. Scott's parents were going to drive her home after the movie.

My parents, also, sat down in front of the TV to watch a movie after we got home. I decided to take a bath. I poured bubble bath into the tub and let the water run as I undressed. After the water was the right temperature, I stepped in and slowly sank down into the tub. I was going on a date with Josh tomorrow, but I wasn't thinking about him. The only thing on my mind was the dream as I closed my eyes. I didn't fall asleep, but I could picture the dream and see the face of the young man who always appeared in the moonlight. After awhile, it seemed to me that another image of him flitted through my mind, one that I hadn't seen in the dream. I couldn't hold onto it, but with it came a terrible feeling of sadness.

I don't know how long I was in the tub, but when I opened my eyes again the water was beginning to cool. I let it drain out and stood up to rinse myself off in the shower. Then I toweled myself dry and put on my robe. All the while, I felt oddly off balance. When I got to my room, I put on my nightgown and went to bed even though it was still early. I was soon swept up in the dream, in those endless kisses.

I awoke at one o'clock in the morning. Just great, I thought, I got up and walked over to my window, hoping that I would get sleepy again soon. At this time of night the street was deserted, so there wasn't much to see. Yet I thought I had detected a movement in the yard across the street.

A shape darted out from among the bushes. As it ran out onto the sidewalk beneath the streetlights, I could see that it was Stephanie Brown's big black dog. The same dog that slept by the foot of her bed every night. The same dog that begged to come back in nearly as soon as it was let out of the house. The same dog that, in the summer, could lie in the shade for what seemed like hours without moving a muscle.

I didn't ever before remember seeing that dog leave the Brown's yard without Stephanie coaxing him to go for a walk. Now I was watching him race down the sidewalk and out of sight. I stared after him in astonishment. Though I waited for a long time, nothing else happened after that. Finally, I gave up and went back to bed.

Right after breakfast the next morning, I went across the street to see Stephanie Brown. We had played together as kids, but as we grew older we had somehow drifted apart even though we were neighbors. We said hi when we saw each other, but we no longer had a real friendship. I hadn't even invited her to my birthday party.

Stephanie's mom answered the door. "Why hello, Allison."

"Hi," I said awkwardly. "Uh, is Stephanie home?"

"Yes, come in." She stepped back so I could enter.

So many memories surfaced as I walked into the house. I still knew my way around, though it had been years since the last time I had visited. Where had the time gone, I wondered.

"I'm afraid she's a bit under the weather today," said Mrs. Brown as we walked into the kitchen.

I was taken aback when I saw Stephanie, although there really wasn't anything shocking about her appearance. It was just that she had always been the most energetic person I knew. She was a cheerleader and in the choir and a member of the student council. The girl was always busy and always in a good mood. Now she looked tired and pale, but there was sure nothing wrong with her appetite.

"Hi," she said when she saw me. "Want some?" She gestured to the array of food on the table before her.

"Uh, no thanks. I already ate."

"Have a seat, Allison." Mr. Brown nodded toward the chair next to Stephanie.

"You must think I'm a pig," Stephanie said between mouthfuls of food.

"No—"

Mrs. Brown interrupted my denial. "Nonsense. You need your strength, especially when you're sick."

"I'm just so hungry today." Stephanie took a bite of bacon. "What I really have a taste for is steak."

Mr. Brown smiled indulgently at his daughter. "I'll grill some for lunch."

"How long have you been sick?" I asked.

"I'm not really sick. I just feel kind of, drained, I guess is the word. But it's only since I woke up. I was fine yesterday. Anyway, it's nothing. A few of the other kids at school have had it, too, and they're completely fine in a day or two. It must be some kind of a mild bug going around."

"Really," I said in surprise. "I didn't know that."

"Yeah," Stephanie said. "I heard it from a few people in choir. Anyway, how have you been?"

I suddenly remembered the reason for my visit. That's when I noticed Stephanie's dog lying on the floor under the table and staring mournfully up at her. She reached down and fed him a piece of bacon.

"Good. I see that Oscar is back. What got into him last night?"

Stephanie turned to me in surprise. "You saw him last night?"

"Yeah. I was looking out the window and saw him running down the sidewalk."

"Oscar was running?" Stephanie looked at him as if she was expecting him to confirm it.

"I know. I couldn't believe it either."

"I found him on the porch this morning when I stepped outside to get the paper," said Mrs. Brown.

"Stephanie must have forgotten to let him back in last night after he did his business," said Mr. Brown

"I did not. I clearly remember letting him back in, because I had to stand outside and wait for him. He wouldn't go out without me for some reason. I had to practically drag him outside."

"Well, then," Mr. Brown said. "You must have been sleepwalking when you let him out the second time."

"He doesn't ever go out a second time."

"It's odd," agreed Mrs. Brown. "I'm surprised that Oscar didn't wake up the whole neighborhood by barking to be let back in the house."

"I wonder where he went," Stephanie said thoughtfully.

"Maybe he had a secret rendezvous," I joked.

For an instant, something flashed in Stephanie's eyes, but then she looked confused. She shook her head and joined in. "All these years Oscar has been living a double life, and I never knew."

I laughed. "Anyway, I wanted to make sure that he was okay. I should get going. I hope you feel better."

"I'm beginning to feel better already, except I'm so stuffed that I can hardly move."

She walked me to the door. "Thanks for stopping by. It was good to see you. I know we're both busy, but we should make plans to get together after school lets out for the summer."

"That would be great," I said sincerely.

Stephanie smiled. "I heard that you're going out with Josh Connors. He's such a nice guy, and you make a really good couple."

I heard a giggle behind me and turned quickly. "Alex, stop spying on people!"

Alex and Scott ran out from behind the bushes. They were already filthy. "We've blown our cover," Alex said before they sprinted across the street and disappeared into our backyard.

I turned back to Stephanie. "Sorry. She thinks she's Nancy Drew."

She smiled. "They are so adorable. Oh—" She grabbed hold of the doorjamb.

I rushed forward. "What's wrong?"

She motioned me away. "Just a dizzy spell. I'm fine now."

I was still concerned. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's nothing."

"Okay," I said. "We'll make plans soon. You better go sit down."

I went home to pick out what I was going to wear on my date. When Jenny called, I told her the whole strange story about Oscar, but she just put it down to Stephanie forgetting that she had let him out a second time. All she really wanted to talk about was my date with Josh.

With no other plans for the rest of the day, I worked on my painting. At lunch, I told the story about Oscar to my family. Alex, who had changed clothes since I'd last seen her, listened without interrupting.

She waited until I had finished talking. "What time was it when you saw Oscar running away?"

"Around one. I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep right away."

"I woke up at one, too," she said somberly.

Before I could say a word about that, Alex launched into a wide-eyed description of the movie she had watched at Scott's house the night before—Dracula.


	5. What Dreams May Come

What Dreams May Come

I had a lovely time during my date with Josh. Since we had already had our first kiss at my birthday party, there were no awkward moments between us. Getting to know him better at school had made me more comfortable around him, and now being with him felt completely natural. He put his arm around me during the movie, and we held hands on the way out to the car.

Josh's dad had let him borrow his car, and Josh said that he didn't have to have it back at any particular time tonight. He suggested that we go get something to eat, and I agreed even though I wasn't hungry after the popcorn. I ordered a piece of pie in defiance of Jenny's insistence that I wear a bikini this summer. Josh ate a cheeseburger and French fries and drank a milkshake. We talked about the movie and moved on to our favorite actors, movies, and movie quotes. Josh made me laugh with some of his imitations. Our conversation flowed easily all the way out to the parking lot as we held hands again while we walked to the car.

Josh took his keys out of his pocket and stopped to look at me. "I wish I had asked you out earlier in the year. I've had a crush on you for awhile, but I was too chicken to say anything."

I was stunned. "I had a crush on you, too," I admitted.

A huge smile lit up his face. "I'm glad you took the initiative, Allison. If you hadn't invited me to your party, I would still be trying to get the nerve up to ask you to go out with me."

"I was so nervous that I almost didn't invite you, but Jenny wouldn't let me back out of it. She threatened not to come to the party if I didn't ask you."

Josh laughed and unlocked the car. "I'll have to thank her for that."

He drove me home, and I told him that I'd had a great time. He told me that he had, too, and kissed me. This kiss was longer and more passionate than our first kiss. I finally broke away and said goodnight to him.

"Goodnight, Allison. I'll call you tomorrow."

I smiled and got out of the car. Josh didn't pull away until I'd opened the front door. I greeted my parents, who were watching TV in the living room.

"Did you have a nice time?" Mom asked.

"Yes, it was fun. Well, goodnight."

"Nice talking to you," Dad called after me.

"Get used to it," Mom said. "Unless you're sixteen, you're not likely to be kept in the loop."

Their voices faded as I walked up the stairs with my mind already on other things. I didn't know what was wrong with me. Josh was everything that I had ever wanted in a boyfriend. Yet, I couldn't stop obsessing over the guy in my dream, who was only a figment of my imagination. Now that I had the real thing, I shouldn't need a fantasy. I was looking at my painting of my imaginary boyfriend as I got ready for bed. I should just forget about my dream, put it out of my mind, and throw away the painting. Even as I told myself this, I was turning off the light, closing my eyes, and waiting for the dream—waiting for him.

The next morning, I went to work on my painting right after breakfast until my cell phone rang. I had forgotten to call Jenny. The topic of our conversation, of course, was my date with Josh. After I had told her everything, she seemed more excited than I was. Finally, we got onto another subject.

"Want to go to the mall today?" Jenny asked.

"I've got to study for finals, which is what you should be doing, too."

"Slave driver!" Jenny was laughing.

"How about next weekend? Then we'll really be free."

"Good idea," she admitted. "Well, I guess I'd better hit the books."

"I'll see you tomorrow." I hung up the phone and jumped when Alex spoke.

"He looks so real."

"What are you doing in here? I told you not to be sneaking into my room!"

She was looking at my painting. "Jenny says that you're going to be a famous artist. I'm going to be famous, too. I'm going to solve a whole bunch of cases, just like Sherlock Holmes."

I didn't have the heart to tell her that Sherlock Holmes wasn't a real person. "I'm sure you will."

"Scott's coming over. See you later."

After she left, I worked undisturbed on my painting until I finished it. Then I stood back and admired it. It was the young man from my dream practically come to life. Finally, I tore myself away from it and took out my books, but it was time for lunch. As I sat eating with my family, I felt like I was back in the real world.

I actually did study after lunch for about an hour. Then Josh called to see how I was doing, and he told me again what a great time he'd had on our date. He suggested going to the beach the following Saturday, and I agreed.

"Great," Josh said. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Now I knew that he truly liked me. He had been on a date with me, and he wanted to go out with me again. Many other girls at school would have been thrilled. How did I feel?"

Preoccupied. It's finals, I thought. Once school lets out for the summer, I told myself, everything will change. At the time, I had no idea how right I was. So, I spent the evening before the last week of school with my family. Then I went upstairs to take a shower and get ready for bed. I was anticipating having the dream again.

I never wondered why I was having the same dream night after night. I didn't want to question it. It had become important to me, and I was afraid that it would disappear from my life just as suddenly as it had appeared. In some strange way, it was becoming more and more real to me. As the days passed, I managed to function well enough in the daytime, but increasingly, my thoughts revolved around the nighttime.

Josh and I continued our routine of sitting together at lunch. We complained about our finals, although we had fewer of them to take every day. There was that last week of school excitement in the air. The days blended into each other, except for Friday. Although it was supposedly still a school day, everyone spent the whole day signing yearbooks, talking about summer vacation, and saying goodbye to each other. I didn't get to bid farewell to my English teacher, though.

When I walked into class, a substitute teacher was sitting behind Mrs. Wilson's desk. She said that Mrs. Wilson was ill today. I remembered Stephanie Brown telling me that a bug was going around. I had seen Stephanie in school on Monday, and she had been back to normal.

The last day flew by as expected. Jenny and I decided to go to the mall that afternoon. She was going to pick me up after dinner. We weren't sure what we were going to do after the mall closed. She had told Andrew that this was girls' night out. First, she wanted to help me find the perfect bikini to wear to the beach the next day with Josh.

During lunch, Josh and I had decided on a time for him to pick me up. "I'll bring a cooler with some colas," he said.

"Okay. I'll bring the sunscreen."

"Good idea. Have fun tonight." He had the warmest smile.

"You, too," I said. It was his mom's birthday, and his family was having a surprise party for her. I remember his happy smile as we walked out of the cafeteria. That was the last time I felt completely comfortable and relaxed with him.

A few hours later, summer vacation had begun. I sweated so much during my walk home that I had to take a shower before dinner. I put on a pair of shorts and a tank top and completed the look with a comfortable pair of flats. After dinner, Mom gave me some money. I added it to the money that my grandma had given me for my birthday.

Alex asked if she could go to the mall with me, and I told her no. When Jenny arrived, Alex asked her the same question, and she told her yes. I gave her a look, but she was smiling from ear to ear. Her mom must have lent her a credit card, I thought. On the way, Alex told us all the places she wanted to go, which included the arcade, the toy store, and the bookstore.

"Allison needs to shop for clothes first."

"That's boring!"

"You shouldn't have brought her with us," I said in annoyance.

"Okay, okay. You go look for a bikini, and I'll take her to the toy store."

The mall was packed. We saw a lot of kids from school who obviously had the same idea we did. We split up, and I was left to browse on my own. I still gravitated toward the one piece swimsuits, but I tried on several bikinis. I was trying to decide between a black one or a blue one when Jenny found me. Alex had been excited to find a new mystery book and was mollified for the time being. Jenny vetoed both my choices. She was in clothes heaven and insisted we check out other stores. I had been right about her talking her mom into letting her borrow her credit card.

She picked out a red bikini and showed it to me. "I think this is the one. Go try it on."

Alex was now bored. "I want to get ice cream."

Jenny looked at her watch. "We better hurry then, because the food court will be closing soon. Let's pay for this stuff and get moving."

"But I haven't tried it on!"

"It'll look great on you. Trust me. Anyway, there's no more time to shop."

Wishing that I had just bought one of the bikinis I had already tried on, I paid for the red bikini, grimacing at the price tag. "No wonder your parents want you to get a job."

"Believe me, it'll be worth it. This is our last summer by the pool, and you'll go out in style."

It was while we were waiting in line for ice cream, and Alex was debating what flavor she wanted, that Jenny grabbed my arm.

"Wow," she breathed. "Check him out."

As I turned to look in the direction she had indicated, I heard Alex say: "I thought you said he was from a dream."


	6. Chance Encounter

Chance Encounter

The whole world disappeared from my vision except for him. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt instead of the old-fashioned clothes of my dream, but otherwise he was exactly the same. He moved casually, seemingly indifferent to everything around him, but I got the feeling that he was intensely aware of his surroundings.

"Where are you going?" Jenny's voice reached me from a great distance.

I realized that I was walking toward him, but he didn't see me. I couldn't understand why he was walking past me without a second glance. What was going on in this new dream? I stood there in a trance, gazing at his retreating form. He was now at the other end of the food court.

"Delwyn," I said softly.

He froze. It wasn't possible that he had heard me, yet he slowly turned to stare at me. Our eyes locked, just like in the other dream. He took a step toward me.

"Allison," Jenny said incredulously. "Do you know him?" She was right beside me, I realized.

"Why did you lie?" Alex demanded. "Who is he?"

Reality came crashing down on me suddenly. He was real. Somehow he had found his way out of the dream. I had goosebumps as a chill spread through me.

"Are you okay?" Jenny asked.

I couldn't speak.

"Here, sit down." She led me to an empty table, and I gratefully collapsed in a chair. My mind was reeling. Of course there had to be a perfectly reasonable explanation for this, but at the moment I couldn't think of even one.

"You don't look so good," Jenny said.

"I don't feel so good, either." I had called him that unusual name—Delwyn. Where had that come from?

"Who is he?" Alex demanded.

I looked up, but he was nowhere to be seen. "I don't know," I said honestly.

"Maybe I should take you home so you can rest. You might be coming down with something. I heard there's a bug going around."

"No!" The last thing I wanted to do was go home and drive myself crazy trying to figure this thing out. Anyway, the shock was beginning to lessen, and my curiosity was taking over. Maybe I would see him again if I stuck around. "It was just a dizzy spell. I'm okay now. Let's get our ice cream."

"We'd better get it right away," Jenny said. "They'll be closing soon."

I looked at my watch and saw that she was right. When I stood up my knees were still weak, but I forced myself to act normal.

"If you don't know who he is, then how come you have a painting of him?"

Now Jenny was paying attention to what Alex was saying. "You have a painting of him?"

"Yeah," Alex said. "She told me he was from a dream."

"I did dream about him," I confessed. "Maybe I saw him somewhere and forgot. I don't know. I mean, I've heard that everything you see and hear stays in your subconscious your whole life, and a lot of it comes up in your dreams."

We took time out of our conversation to order our cones. After we paid and received our ice cream, we decided to eat it on the way to the car.

"I can't imagine that you could forget seeing him," Jenny said. "He's gorgeous!"

"Maybe you're psychic, too. We should ask Grandma."

Jenny looked at Alex in confusion. "Huh?"

I groaned. "Ignore her."

"You never told Jenny about Grandma's powers?" Alex looked astounded.

"All that stuff is okay for fun, but you can't take any of it seriously."

"You're wrong," Alex insisted. "It's all true."

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Our grandma is psychic," Alex announced. "And I am, too. Maybe Allison is, too."

"Oh, you mean Allison's dream might have been a premonition about this guy." Jenny turned toward me. "What did you dream about him, anyway?"

We were walking past the cinema. "Hey. Want to go to a movie?"

Jenny gave me a knowing look. "Sure."

The movie we decided on was playing at ten o'clock. "Okay, we have enough time to drop off Alex and come right back."

"Why can't I go to the movie, too?"

"Because we'll be home late, and it's PG-13, and I don't see Mom and Dad here with you."

Alex, too, gave me a knowing look. "It's so you can tell secrets."

Jenny laughed. I just continued to eat my ice cream. Alex was almost done with hers, and she now walked beside us crunching her cone as she bit into it.

"Who was that guy?" Jenny asked as soon as we had dropped her off at home and were alone in the car.

"I told you, I don't know."

"Oh, I thought you were just saying that in front of Alex. So it really is some kind of psychic connection."

"Of course not," I said. Now was the time to tell her everything. We could go over the whole thing together and maybe come up with an explanation. Instead, I just repeated that I must have seen him somewhere before.

"But what was going on between you two back there?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"What do I mean? You see this guy and take off without a word. Then you stop and stare at him like you're in some kind of trance. Then he stops and turns to stare at you. Then you practically faint."

"I was not anywhere near fainting," I lied. "I was just in shock from seeing that he was a real person and not just someone I'd made up in a dream."

"He's a dream alright," Jenny sighed. "Hey, maybe he's been dreaming about you, too."

"Yeah, right."

"Maybe you guys are destined to be together," she continued. "I wonder where he disappeared to."

"Probably wherever he was going. He was looking at someone behind me—"

"Looking is not the word," Jenny interrupted. "He was staring, and he was staring at you. It was like a scene out of a movie. You should have talked to him."

"And said what? Hi, you don't know me, but I've been dreaming about you."

"Well," she said. "Maybe I wouldn't blurt that out right away either, but you could have said hi and taken it from there. You already had his attention. He was definitely interested." She paused. "Anyway, if he's your destiny, you'll see him again."

"I've never heard you talk that way before. Alex is being a bad influence on you. Anyway, for all I know he could be an ax murderer or something."

"He sure is something," she gushed. "He has to be about the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen, and he was alone on a Friday night. Did you see how every girl in the place was checking him out?"

I hadn't. I'd only noticed him and forgotten everything else.

"What happened in your dream?"

It was strange how I didn't want to talk about him with Jenny. The dream had been mine alone, and I wasn't keen on sharing it. Still, she was my best friend after all. "He kissed me."

"That's the best kind of dream."

I was relieved when we got to the theatre, but I hardly paid attention to the movie. My mind kept replaying the scene in the mall. After the movie, Jenny and I decided to call it a night. Before I got out of the car, she reminded me to call her the next day after my date with Josh.

With a jolt I remembered Josh. Had I really talked to him only earlier that day? It seemed like much longer.

That night I had a different dream. I was me as I am in real life, and I awoke to see him standing beside my bed and staring at me. He was wearing the same clothes he'd had on in the mall.

"What is your name?" he asked after a long while.

He hadn't spoken in the other dream, yet his voice sounded familiar to me. "Allison," I replied.

"Allison," he repeated and reached out to touch the gold necklace around my neck, his eyes dropping momentarily to the cross hanging on it. "Take this off," he commanded.

I complied without question.

"Who are you, Allison?" He tore his gaze away from me and walked over to my paintings. Even though moonlight poured in through the window, it was still too dark to be able to make out much detail in the paintings. Yet he inspected every one of them.

He stood the longest before the one of the castle and the one of himself. I could sense such tension in his posture. It was very different from the casual way he had held himself in the mall.

Suddenly, he turned and swooped down on me. "Who are you?" he repeated with such deep emotion in his voice.

I couldn't think. He was leaning over me, and he was so close. I reached up and entwined my arms around his neck, and my lips found his. This kiss was even more real, even more incredible than in the other dream. Time stopped, and I never wanted to wake up.

"Eventually, he pulled back. "Rowena," he whispered.


	7. Contact

Contact

I slept late the next day. It was already noon when I opened my eyes and blinked in confusion at the brightness of my room. This last dream had been the most real of all. I hummed to myself as I put on my clothes. Then I noticed that the necklace Alex had given me for my birthday was on my nightstand. I remembered the boy in my dream telling me to take it off. For a crazy moment, I wondered if he had really been in my room last night. Then I laughed at myself. Of course, I must have mirrored the actions taking place in my dream, kind of like sleepwalking.

"Good morning," I said cheerfully as I walked into the kitchen.

"Good afternoon is more like it." Dad was peering into the refrigerator. "I'm trying to figure out what to make for lunch, but tell me what you want for breakfast."

"I'll just have some cereal. I'm not all that hungry," I said as I grabbed a bowl out of the cabinet. "I can't believe I slept so long."

"You probably needed the rest after studying for all those finals."

Apparently, he had no idea how much I'd been sleeping lately. He thought I'd spent all that time in my room studying. I changed the subject. "Where is everybody?"

"Your mother went shopping, and Alex is playing outside. What time is Josh picking you up?"

I started. Josh! I'd forgotten about our date. Even worse, I'd completely forgotten about Josh. I covered my surprise. "One o'clock, so I'd better get moving."

I finished my cereal and hurried upstairs to get ready. I had no idea where my old bathing suit was, so I cut the tags off of my new bikini and put it on. Then I stood in front of the mirror and stared at myself. My plan had been to wear my old suit even though it was looking kind of worn, because I felt comfortable in it. I had intended to look for it when I got home from my outing with Jenny the night before, but it had slipped my mind, and now it was too late.

I had to admit that the bikini flattered my figure. Jenny sure knew clothes. Fleetingly, I wished that the boy from my dream could see me now. Then I blushed, even though I was alone. We hadn't gone beyond kissing in any of my dreams, but the kisses had been intense. The fact that this time we had met in my room made it seem even more intimate. Also, knowing that he really existed made my pulse race.

Calm down, I told myself. Just because he looks exactly like the guy in your dream doesn't mean he acts like him. You don't know what kind of person he is, or even his name. This is all just some weird coincidence.

The mental lecture changed nothing. My face was flushed, and my eyes were shining. I practically glowed. Action, I thought. I have to stay busy and not think about this. Determinedly, I covered up my bikini beneath a pair of jean shorts and a blue t-shirt. I brushed my teeth and swept my hair up into a ponytail and ran around getting together towels and sunscreen. Josh arrived exactly on time, just like he had on our last date. I was actually ready to go, and we were soon on our way to the beach.

"How was your mom's party?" I asked.

"It was nice. She was really surprised, and we got good news today. My sister's boyfriend proposed last night, and she said yes!"

"Wow, that's great." His sister was twenty-four years old. I imagined how wonderful it must be to be proposed to.

"Yeah, they're getting married next year. When I left, she and my mom were already talking about the wedding." He smiled. "But tell me about your girls' night out."

I hoped like crazy that I wasn't blushing. "There's really not much to tell. We went to the mall and to a movie."

Luckily, I was able to remember the name of the movie when Josh asked me. I made small talk and managed to steer the conversation away from the night before. Then the sight of the beach caught our attention. Josh parked the car, and we got out and trudged through the sand, carrying our things. When we found an empty spot, we spread out our towels. Without giving it a second thought, I automatically took off my shirt and shorts. I heard Josh suck in his breath. Then I remembered that I was wearing the bikini and quickly sat down on my towel.

Josh cleared his throat. "Did you bring the sunscreen?"

"Yeah." I could feel his eyes on me as I rubbed it on.

"Here, let me," he said when I tried to reach my back. He took the bottle from me, and I turned my back toward him. He rubbed the lotion on, and I pretended that he was the guy from my dream.

When Josh dropped the bottle of sunscreen and maneuvered himself into place to kiss me, I knew it wasn't my dream guy. I kissed him back, but it was a poor imitation of the kissing I had done in my dream. It seemed to satisfy Josh, however.

"Allison," he murmured huskily when I pulled back. "Where you going?"

I smiled nervously. "You better put some sunscreen on. You don't want to get burned." I picked up the bottle and handed it to him.

He put some on, then asked me to do his back. I sensed the excitement building within him as I touched him. I hurried up and finished rubbing in the lotion. "Let's go swimming." I jumped up, and he was right behind me as I ran into the water. It was a cold shock until we got used to it. A sense of childish fun took over as we tested our swimming skills and splashed each other and laughed.

I felt like I was impersonating someone else. Casually, I kept scanning the beach, not even daring to admit to myself who I was hoping to catch a glimpse of, despite how unlikely it was. I wondered if he had a girlfriend.

There was not a cloud in the clear blue sky. I was on vacation and at the beach with a cute guy who only had eyes for me. I was supposed to be having fun. Part of me was, but a bigger part of me wasn't even there. That part was working on a mystery, trying to figure out the connection between the dreams and the real boy I had seen at the mall.

Josh and I decided to take a break from swimming. We walked back to our towels, dripping water all over the hot sand on the way. I leaned back on the towel and closed my eyes, the heat of the sun making me drowsy. I could feel droplets of water trickling down my skin. The sounds of the beach drifted to me—people talking, children laughing, the waves rushing toward the shore. Then a voice, his voice, speaking not into my ears but directly into my mind.

"Allison, meet me tonight at ten by the ice cream stand at the end of your street. Please, I must see you."

My eyes flew open, and I sat up quickly. I looked around me in wild confusion. No sign of him anywhere. What was going on?

"Allison."

I focused on Josh. "Huh?"

"Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Maybe that's what he was, a phantom. But no, Jenny and Alex had both seen him at the mall. He did exist. I forced a smile. "I guess I dozed off for a minute, and then I didn't know where I was."

Josh accepted that explanation, but I was sure that I had been awake. I closed my eyes again, but I heard no more messages from my mystery guy. You're really losing it, I told myself. Yet I couldn't quite convince myself that I had imagined it.

"Want something to drink?" Josh asked.

I opened my eyes to see that he had opened the cooler he had brought to the beach. "Sure."

Josh handed me a cola, and I gratefully accepted it. The cold liquid refreshed me. We sat there for awhile without talking, sipping our drinks and gazing at the water. I, at least, could not think of a single thing to say.

"Allison," Josh said.

"Hmm?" I asked vaguely.

"Allison," he repeated.

I finally turned to look at him. "What?"

Now that he had my attention, he seemed unsure of what he wanted to say. He gazed at me. "Want to go back in?"

This time, I followed him into the ocean. When the water reached his chest, Josh dove in head first. For me, though, all the playfulness had gone out of the day. I kept walking until my feet could no longer touch bottom and then leaned back and stretched out my legs until I was floating peacefully on my back. I closed my eyes and let myself drift.

It seemed that I had only closed my eyes for a minute when I heard splashing beside me. "Allison," Josh called.

I opened my eyes to see him swimming toward me. The shore was much further away than I remembered.

"You're drifting away." He was treading water beside me now. He laughed. "Are you trying to tell me that you don't like my company?"

"No," I said seriously, but guilt tore at me. I had been thinking about the guy from the mall again.

Josh laughed again. "Come back with me, and I promise not to try to show off with anymore stupid stunts. Serves me right. I practically drown myself, and then I look up to find you're not even there to see me in all my glory."

I found a laugh somewhere inside of me. "I'm sorry I missed that." He looked adorable with his wet hair dripping in his eyes. Too bad my obsession with someone I didn't even know overshadowed everything else.

We swam back to the shallow water. He took hold of my hand as we made our way back to the sand. He didn't let go until we got to our towels and sat down. Then he leaned over and gave me a sweet, lingering kiss.

"Sorry if I came on too strong before," he said as he pulled away. He looked at me appreciatively. "It's just that bikini looks incredible on you. I would have to be dead not to notice."

For no apparent reason, a chill went through me when he said that word—dead. I shook it off. "Jenny made me buy it," I said, not knowing how to respond to his compliment.

"Hey, I wasn't complaining." His brown eyes were warm with his smile. "I really like you, Allison."

"I like you, too." But I'm not intrigued with you the way I am with him, I added silently. Why couldn't I be satisfied with what I had?

Josh was the one who looked away shyly. "After we dry off, want to get something to eat?"

"Okay," I said, feeling more guilty than ever. It would kill more time before tonight. I was going to the ice cream stand at ten. Either the boy from the mall would be there, or I was really flipping out.


	8. Secret Rendezvous

Secret Rendezvous

Wanting to make the most of our first day on the beach, we lay there until we were completely dry. By the time we got to the restaurant, we were hungry and drained. We just beat the dinner rush, so we got a table right away. I was relieved to have a distraction from my jumbled thoughts. Josh and I both read our menus over a couple of times before the waitress took our order.

Josh took a sip of his drink. "I know you went to a movie last night, but I was wondering if you want to help me pick out something at the video store and come over. I'm a great cook when it comes to popcorn."

He clearly didn't want the date to end. "I can't," I managed to say regretfully. "I have to go with my family to my grandma's house," I lied. "Sorry."

"That's okay. Maybe next time."

"Yeah." Even though I told myself it was crazy, I knew that I'd be waiting like a fool tonight by the ice cream stand. I'd even turned down Josh because of my hallucination.

As I answered Josh's questions about my grandma, and he told me about his grandparents, I was trying to figure out a way to get my parents to let me go walking alone at night without Alex tagging along. Luck was with me. After Josh dropped me off, I found out that my parents were going to visit another couple with whom they were good friends. Alex had asked them to drop her off at Scott's house on the way there. They were going to pick her up on the way back home.

"Are you going anywhere tonight?" Mom asked.

I thought fast. If I wasn't going insane, and if he really did show up tonight, I wasn't sure what time I'd get home. "Josh and I might go to a movie later."

"Leave us a note if you do," Dad said.

"I will." I was starting to feel guilty about lying to everyone. "I'm going to take a shower."

When I closed the door to the bathroom, I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, I was alone with my thoughts. As I washed the sand and the scent of sunscreen from my skin, I allowed myself to imagine that he would be there. I shampooed my hair and fantasized that he would be my boyfriend. After I stepped out of the shower and dried off, I went to my room to ponder what I should wear. My cell phone rang.

"How was your day at the beach?"

"Hold on, Jenny. Alex, get out of my room!"

Alex muttered something that I couldn't make out and slammed my door on her way out. I heard her stomping down the hallway.

"Now we can talk."

"Yeah," Jenny said. "Tell me all your deep, dark secrets."

I laughed uncomfortably. "You know me with my double life."

Jenny didn't hear the truth in my words. "So, did you wear the bikini?"

"Yeah, and that thing is dangerous."

"Got his attention, huh?"

"And how," I said.

"I'm surprised you're home already."

"I wanted to take a shower and change. We might go to the movies later." Now I was even lying to my best friend.

"Hey, maybe Andrew and I will see you there. Which movie are you going to see?"

"Uh, we haven't decided yet. If I don't see you tonight, I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay," Jenny said. "I better go get ready. Talk to you later."

After I hung up the phone, I decided to blow dry and curl my hair. I had just plugged in the curling iron when Mom came up to tell me that they were leaving.

"So, you're definitely going to the movies with Josh."

"Uh, yeah. Guess what." I quickly changed the subject. "Josh's sister got engaged yesterday!"

We chatted about that for a few minutes, and then Dad called upstairs that it was time to go. After I finished curling my hair, I went to my room and tried on about ten outfits. In the end, instead of shorts or a miniskirt, I decided to wear a light summer dress with a flowery print that I had bought the previous summer and never worn. When I had seen it at the store, it had made me think of romance. This seemed like the right occasion for it.

I brushed my hair into soft curls. The only make-up I put on was lipstick. My face was flushed with excitement, and my eyes were bright with anticipation. My dangling gold earrings and a pretty pair of sandals completed my look. I went into my parents' room and dabbed on some of my mom's expensive perfume.

Then the minutes crawled by as I waited for it to be time to leave for my rendezvous. I argued with myself the entire time. I should stop acting like a fool and stay home and put this ridiculous notion out of my head. I should go to a psychiatrist. I should call Josh and ask if the invitation to come over his house was still open. I should go to sleep, and this would all seem silly in the morning.

At ten minutes until ten, I left the house. The night was pleasantly warm, perfect weather for a leisurely stroll. No need to hurry, I reminded myself and tried to walk casually down the street. By the time I reached the ice cream stand, my heart was pounding with nervousness and excitement.

There was a line of people waiting for ice cream. The stand was open until 10:30 in the summer. The guy I was looking for was nowhere in sight. What had I expected? I checked my watch and saw that it was still a few more minutes until ten. I sat down at an empty picnic table, wondering how long I was going to wait before I gave up and went home.

"Hi," said an unfamiliar voice.

I looked up to see a couple of guys who looked about my age. I didn't know them from school, but it was a pretty big school. They moved closer to me.

"Hi," I said, not knowing what else to do.

"What's your name?" the blond one asked.

"I'm waiting for someone."

"Hey," said the brunette one. "He just asked you your name."

"Yeah, I was just trying to be friendly. We saw you sitting here alone."

Why couldn't they understand that I didn't want their company? "I'm waiting for someone," I repeated. "He—"

"Has just arrived."

We all turned at the sound of his voice. He was beside me in an instant, though I hadn't heard him approach. "Forgive me for keeping you waiting." He took my hand and pulled me to my feet. "If you'll excuse us."

They didn't have a chance to say anything as he abruptly turned and escorted me behind the ice cream stand and down another side street. I felt sure that he could hear my heart hammering in my chest. I was too stunned to say a word. He was actually here with me holding my hand! He led me to a parked car and opened the passenger door for me, and I got in without a second thought.

He walked around to the other side and sat down beside me. "I hope you are not normally in the habit of getting into strangers' cars. It's dangerous."

I couldn't take my eyes off him. "You aren't a stranger," I said, surprised to find my voice.

He was staring at me, too. "Oh? Who am I?" His cool voice was at odds with his intense gaze.

"I saw you at the mall yesterday," I said slowly.

"And I you. This makes me someone that you know?"

"I, today…"

"Yes?" he prodded.

"You, this meeting. You talked to me, but you weren't there. How did you do that?"

He ignored my question and asked his own. "Is this all?"

"No," I whispered, getting lost in the depths of his eyes. They were, I knew, so dark that the change in hue from iris to pupil was barely discernable. "I dreamed about you."

"What did you dream?"

"We were dressed in these old-fashioned clothes, and I was me except I wasn't. And…"

"And?" His voice was no longer cool.

I was caught somewhere between my dreams and reality. "And we were in love."

He leaned closer to me. "Anything else?"

"Last night I dreamed that you were in my room."

He said nothing as his gaze fell to my lips. I trembled with anticipation as he moved even closer to me. I couldn't move; I was so weak with longing. Then he hesitated.

He pulled back. My lips were still tingling in expectation of the kiss I had experienced only in my dreams. "What else do you know about me?" he asked, looking deeply into my eyes again.

"I told you everything." Maybe now he would kiss me.

He looked away, and the spell was broken. I was suddenly horrified that I had blurted out the whole story. My cheeks flamed, making me wish for total darkness instead of full moonlight.

"Allow me to introduce myself," he said.


	9. Beneath The Moonlight

Beneath The Moonlight

He looked at me, but our gazes were no longer locked. My self control had returned. I was now able to take in his strikingly dark eyes without falling into a trance, although my pulse was still racing. He had a thick mane of dark brown hair. His fair skin added a startling contrast to his dark good looks.

"I am Hunter Caldwell."

I blinked. "Hunter," I repeated. Now I could finally add a name to the familiar face.

"And you are?"

"Allison Roth."

"Allison." He extended his hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

We shook hands. Shook hands! It was all so strange, so formal, when moments before the atmosphere had been charged with an intimate electricity. None of it made any sense. "Hunter, what is going on?"

He avoided my gaze. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. This—"I almost said date. "Meeting. Today at the beach, it was like you were talking to me—in my mind."

"How did you know it was me?"

That was something I hadn't thought about. "I-I don't know. But it was you, because here you are. You met me by the ice cream stand, just like you said you would."

"As you can see, I am a man of my word."

"That's good to know, but it still doesn't explain what's going on here."

"Very well," Hunter said. "I will tell you. I saw you at the mall last night. I wanted to approach you, but I lost my nerve. Then today I was kicking myself for not asking for your telephone number. I was afraid I would never run into you again, so I decided to try to contact you with…"

"Telepathy," I supplied.

"Yes, I have certain—abilities."

"Wow! If I hadn't experienced it myself I never would have believed it."

"Ah," he said. "A skeptic."

"Not anymore." I wanted to ask him how he had done it, and so many other questions, too, but then the full realization of what he had just said left me breathless. At the mall, he had wanted to ask me for my number!

"Would you be agreeable to giving me your telephone number? I would like to see you again."

"Yes," I said, praying that this wasn't just another dream. "I would like that."

His smile revealed perfect teeth. "It's a lovely night for a stroll. I shall escort you home." He got out of the car and came around to open the door for me.

He was like no one I had ever met before. Although he didn't look much older than me, he seemed sophisticated and more confident than any other guy I knew. I could detect no accent, but there was something exotic about him. He moved smoothly, exuding grace and power.

Hunter held my hand on the way home. "What is your telephone number?"

"Do you have your cell phone with you to add it to your contacts?" I wondered how many girls' phone numbers were in there.

"No, but tell me. I have an excellent memory." There was sudden emotion in his voice.

I looked at him in surprise, wondering what had upset him. He smiled at me, and I was reassured. I told him my number. "Do you go to school around here?" I didn't want to ask him directly where he lived.

"I am home-schooled."

"Oh, do you like that?" I had never known anyone who was home-schooled.

"It has its advantages. I can study at my own pace and have more freedom, but it can get lonely."

"Yeah, the best part of school is seeing your friends." I wanted to ask him more questions, but I still felt nervous around him, even though he had made it clear that he liked me. I searched for something to say. "Full moon tonight." Well that's fascinating conversation, I chided myself.

Hunter looked thoughtfully up at the night sky. "So many things change over time, but the moon is one of the few constants. Hundreds of years ago, people saw the same moon as we are beholding at this very moment. Ro-Allison, it is fitting that it bears witness to our meeting now."

I gaped at him, spellbound by his words. Never had I heard anyone my age speak this way before. I was intensely curious about him, but I hoped to have lots of time to get to know him better. Hunter asked me a few questions about my interests, and we were at my door too quickly. I was relieved that nobody was home yet. Hunter gazed at me with those incredibly dark eyes. Maybe now he'll kiss me, I thought.

"I must go now. I will call you tomorrow evening if that is alright."

"Yes," I said, still hoping for a kiss.

Hunter leaned forward and raised my hand to his lips. They were cool on my skin, but I felt my blood heat up. I could hardly breathe as his eyes met mine before he straightened up and let go of my hand. My pulse was out of control as I unlocked the door and spoke a breathless goodnight. Hunter waited until I had stepped inside the house before he turned away. I watched him walk down the driveway and then shut the door and leaned against it.

Slowly, my breathing returned to normal. It was only then that it occurred to me to wonder how Hunter knew where I lived. In his telepathic message he had said to meet him by the ice cream stand at the end of my street. How did he know the location of my street? I sat down on the couch and stared unseeing at the TV until Alex and my parents came home.

"I thought you were going to the movies with Josh," Mom said.

I looked at her in confusion. "Josh? Uh, no, I didn't feel like going after all."

"Why are you wearing Mom's perfume?" Alex asked.

"I went for ice cream," I said, as if that explained everything. Mom looked at Dad, but he just shrugged.

"Hey!" Alex shouted. "I want ice cream, too."

"The ice cream stand is closed now," Dad said. "You can have some tomorrow."

Alex then launched into a description of the movie she and Scott had watched that evening. I stayed in the living room for awhile with my family. When Mom announced that it was time for Alex to go to bed, I said goodnight also.

I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling, my mind spinning. The dreams, the way Hunter had reacted at the mall, my encounter with him tonight—none of it made sense, but I didn't care. All that mattered was that he was real and part of my life. He wanted to see me again! My heart filled with joy, and I closed my eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

It took a minute after I woke to realize that something was different. Then it dawned on me that I wasn't coming back from another world. I hadn't had the dream! Well, I didn't need it anymore now that I had Hunter in real life. There was a spring in my step as I went downstairs to breakfast. I sat at the kitchen table and quickly became lost in dreamy thoughts.

"Is something wrong?"

I focused on Mom. "No, why?"

"You've hardly touched your food."

I was too excited to eat. "I guess I'm just—"

"In love," Alex said.

I stared at her, but she didn't look up. She was too busy drowning another waffle in syrup. "What are you talking about?"

She shrugged. "Just what I said. You're in love." She shoved a drenched piece of waffle into her mouth.

My cell phone rang, and I grabbed it to look at the caller ID. "Hi, Jenny." Well, Hunter did say he would call in the evening, after which I would have his number.

"Hi! Wanna go to the pool today?"

"Sure." I couldn't wait to tell Jenny the news about Hunter. We decided on a time. "I'll meet you there." The public pool was within walking distance from my house.

"Where are you going?" Dad asked.

"I'm meeting Jenny at the pool."

"I want to go, too!"

I sighed. "Okay, but I'm in charge. You do what I say."

Alex was ecstatic. "I'll call Scott."

Great, I thought, Holmes and Watson are coming with us. Now we'll really get to talk. Privacy from Alex turned out not to be a problem. She and Scott wanted to get in the water as soon as we got to the pool, but I made sure they put on sunscreen first. After that, Jenny and I were left alone to soak up the rays. Well, as alone as you can be with practically every pair of male eyes in the place staring at Jenny.

She ignored them all. "Wow," was all she kept saying.

I told her about my encounter with Hunter last night, only I lied and said he just happened to be at the ice cream stand when I went for a cone. "We just kind of started talking while we were waiting in line. His name is Hunter Caldwell."

"Wow, Hunter. It sounds like a name out of a romance novel."

"He is like someone from a romance novel. He's such a gentleman, and he's so—so romantic!"

Jenny quickly got to the most important question. "Did he ask you out?"

"He asked for my phone number, and he walked me home."

"Yes! Oh, this is so exciting. I told you this was going to be an awesome summer for you. Wow, two guys. Are you going to keep them both?"

"Both?"

"Yes, remember Josh, your boyfriend?" She laughed. "Wow, you've really got it bad for this guy. I can't blame you, though. He is totally gorgeous."

Oh no, I thought. Josh. Now that I had found Hunter, I couldn't imagine being with anyone else. The feelings that I had for him were so intense that it was almost scary. When I was with him, I forgot that the rest of the world existed.

"Oh, Jen. What am I going to do about Josh? I can't keep going out with him when I like Hunter so much. It's not fair to Josh."

"Why don't you wait and see what happens first? You just met this guy."

"No," I said firmly. "I can't do that to Josh. He's been wonderful to me."

"Then you'll have to break up with him."

"How am I going to do that? I don't want to hurt his feelings."

I had forgotten that Jenny was an expert at this. "The next time he calls you, tell him that you want to see him because you need to talk. Then just be honest and tell him that you want to see other people. There's really no way around him getting hurt, but he'll get over it. You haven't been going out that long."

We spent the next few hours working on our tans, talking, and swimming. Then we all headed home for dinner. Josh and Andrew both had summer jobs, so Jenny and I .had planned to spend our days at the pool and our evenings out with our boyfriends. Now I wasn't sure what would be happening. Did Hunter have a job? I realized that I knew almost nothing about him.

"Where's your necklace?" Alex interrupted my train of thought.

"What?" I was glad that we were almost home, since I was now hungry.

"The necklace I gave you for your birthday. You promised not to take it off. Where is it?"

I remembered that I had removed it in my sleep. It was probably still on my nightstand. "Oh, I didn't want to lose it at the beach. I forgot to put it back on."

"You mean you were outside by yourself last night without it?"

"Well, yeah."

"Allison, don't you know anything? You need your cross to protect you from vampires."

I looked on in amusement as Scott nodded in solemn agreement to Alex's ridiculous declaration. "You've been watching too many horror movies. Vampires aren't real. They're just an old legend."

"They are real," Alex insisted. "You don't even believe I'm psychic, so what do you know?"

I was about to make a smart comment, but then I remembered my recent experience with Hunter. Maybe I should give Alex the benefit of the doubt about being psychic, but I drew the line at vampires. I decided to humor her anyway. "I'm sorry, Alex. I'll put my necklace on as soon as we get home."

"Don't go outside at night anymore without it."

"I promise."

The call that I was dreading came at seven o'clock. I stuck word for word with the script Jenny had given me.

There was a long pause. "Okay," Josh said, all the enthusiasm gone from his voice. "I'll be there at eight."

I hung up feeling terrible. Why couldn't I feel about Josh the way I felt about Hunter? I stood nervously looking out the window, waiting to see Josh's car turn into the driveway. As bad as I felt for Josh, I was feeling even worse for myself. Hunter still hadn't called.

When I saw Josh's car, I walked slowly out to meet him. He got out and opened the passenger door for me. When he was seated beside me, he didn't look at me but stared straight ahead. I, too, watched the waning light.

"So," Josh broke the silence. "What did you want to talk about?"

I hesitated, then decided that I had to get it over with. "I think we should see other people."

Josh was silent for a moment. "Yeah," he said dejectedly. "Me too."

I didn't know what else to say. He still hadn't looked at me. "Well, I guess I better go now."

"Okay," was all he said.

On impulse, I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Bye."

I heard Josh pull away as I sprinted toward the house.

"Was that Josh?" Mom asked. "Why didn't you invite him in?"

"We broke up." I kept walking past my surprised parents and went straight up to my room. I sat down on my bed and just stared out my window, watching it get fully dark outside. After I had given up all hope, my cell phone rang. It's probably Jenny, I told myself, but my heart was pounding as I looked at the caller ID and saw an unfamiliar number.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Allison."


	10. First Date

First Date

"Hunter," I said with more eagerness than I had planned to show. "I—I wasn't sure if you would call."

"I told you that I would. I have been looking forward to seeing you again. Do you have plans tonight?"

"No. No plans." Jenny would have been upset with me if she could hear me now. She would have told me to pretend that I was busy and not accept a date on such short notice. I didn't care about any of that. I couldn't wait to see Hunter again.

"Would you like to do something with me? We could go to a movie or whatever you wish. I just want to see you again."

Hunter wasn't playing cool either. He sounded genuinely excited to go out with me. "Come over and we'll figure it out when you get here." I didn't care what we did, as long as I was with him.

There was no time to change, because I had to tell my parents about Hunter. I put on some lipstick and my own perfume this time. Mom and Dad were bewildered when I went downstairs and announced that I had a date.

"I thought you said that you and Josh broke up."

"Yeah, Mom, we did, but this is another boy."

"What? Who?"

I twirled a strand of hair around my finger. "His name is Hunter. I met him at the mall."

"You mean that guy you saw when we were there with Jenny?" Now I was being interrogated by Alex, too.

"Yes," I said quickly, hoping that she wouldn't mention my dream or the painting.

"I thought you didn't know who he is." She was looking at me suspiciously.

"I saw him last night at the ice cream stand, and he asked for my number."

Mom scowled at me. "Are you saying that you broke up with Josh over a stranger?"

"Here we go with all the boyfriends," Dad muttered.

"Allison said that she had a—"

I cut Alex off in a hurry. "He's really nice. He even walked me home."

"You led a stranger straight to your door when no one was home? I thought you had more sense than that!" Mom was almost shouting now.

I looked sheepishly at the floor, remembering how I had gotten into his car. Hunter had even called me on it. "I'm sorry. We were talking, and he was so nice and everything."

"Does he go to school with you?" Dad asked.

I was relieved to change the subject. "He's home-schooled."

Dad raised an eyebrow. "Really? I wonder why his parents chose that route."

"You can ask him yourself. We have to meet him before Allison goes anywhere with him."

"Mom! I was alone with him last night, and I was fine. Don't you think that proves you can trust him?"

"Did you invite him in?" Dad suddenly looked as upset as Mom.

"Of course not. I know the rules."

"Well, at least you don't forget everything when you see a pretty face," Mom said sarcastically.

Dad looked at her. "How do you know he's—"

"She's going out with him the same day she broke up with her boyfriend. What do you think is the reason?"

"It's because she's in love with him."

We all turned to look at Alex.

I tried to laugh. "Well, that's—that's crazy. I only just met him."

"You were already in love with him," Alex said in a way that made her seem older than her ten years.

We were startled out of this odd exchange by knocking on the front door. I had been so distracted by arguing with my family that I had failed to notice Hunter's arrival. I took a deep breath and went to answer the door. After my parents' disapproval, I was worried about how they would react to him.

They were merely polite at first, but he managed to charm them within a short time. My dad asked him what he was studying, and Hunter happened to mention a certain period of history. Dad is a history buff, and he was quickly impressed by Hunter's extensive knowledge on the subject. Mom, I could tell, was pleasantly surprised by his manners. I noted that he had an ease with adults that I had never seen in someone my age.

The only person who didn't warm to Hunter was Alex. She sat watching him in total silence, her expression giving away nothing. I couldn't believe that she wasn't pestering him with a million questions the way she usually bothered my friends until I had to yell at her to stop.

Despite her earlier antagonism, Mom was actually the one who came to my rescue. "Ron, the kids have to get to their movie."

"Oh, right," Dad said regretfully.

Hunter stood and smiled at Dad. "I look forward to continuing this discussion another time."

Alex finally spoke. "You need to put your necklace on, Allison."

"Next time. Right now we're—"

"You promised!"

I sighed. "Okay, okay. Sorry, Hunter. I'll be right back."

Alex followed me up to my room. "I like Josh better."

"Sorry, but who I date has nothing to do with you, so stop trying to creep Hunter out. You were staring at him like he was a bug under a microscope." I hastily picked up the necklace from my nightstand and put it on, taking one last look in the mirror. My blue shorts and top looked alright, but not as pretty as the dress I had worn the evening before.

"He wants to marry you and take you away from us."

I halted on my way toward the hallway. "What?"

"He's in love with you, too."

"Alex, what is wrong with you lately? Where are you getting this stuff?"

She had already shifted gears. "Just don't take the necklace off again."

"Whatever." I rushed back downstairs, eager to go on my date with Hunter.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Roth, Mr. Roth."

My parents were actually smiling when we left. Alex's goodbye was curt, however.

"You have a very nice family," Hunter said as we walked toward his car.

"They're okay, I guess. What's your family like?"

He opened the passenger door for me. "My parents are deceased. I live with a guardian."

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

"Thank you. It was a long time ago." He closed my door and went around to the driver side.

I waited until he was seated. "Were they in an accident?"

"They took ill."

"Both of them? How awful." I wanted to ask what kind of illness it had been, but I felt that I had pried enough into his painful past.

Hunter changed the subject. "Where shall we go? Do you want to see a movie?"

"It doesn't really matter to me. We can go to a movie if you feel like it." It was amazing how happy I felt just being in his presence.

"I actually prefer to go somewhere we can talk. I would like to learn more about you." He turned on the car and pulled out of my driveway.

"I want to know more about you, too. I don't even know how old you are."

Hunter took so long to answer that I thought maybe he didn't hear me. "I am seventeen," he finally replied.

"An older man," I joked. "I just turned sixteen last month.

"Yes, you are quite young," he said, but he didn't sound like he was kidding.

"Hey! I'm only a year younger than you."

"Yes, well, be that as it may—"

"You better not be having second thoughts. I just broke up with my boyfriend because of you." I should have been horrified that I had blurted that out. Jenny would have been aghast at my revelation and warned me that it would make me appear desperate. I, however, felt completely comfortable speaking my mind. I had never felt so close to someone so fast.

Hunter was beaming at me. "You did? Because of me?"

"Yeah, so don't think you're going to back out now."

"Allison, now that I have found you, there is no power on earth that can keep me away from you."

He looked at me with those dark eyes of unfathomable depths, and the air between us became charged with unspoken thoughts. Then he turned his attention to the road, and I tried to stop imagining him kissing me. Hunter drove to the same beach where I had been with Josh yesterday. He parked the car, and we got out and held hands as we walked across the sand.

"Would you like to go to a concert tomorrow night?"

I smiled at him. "Sure. Who's playing?"

Hunter told me, and my eyes widened. "Those tickets have been sold out for months."

"You mentioned last night that you liked them, so I found tickets for us."

"They're my favorite band ever! You must have paid a fortune for tickets."

"I wanted to make you happy."

"You already have," I said in total sincerity. "I'm happy just hanging out with you. You don't need to spend a lot of money."

"Oh, my lady, truly I say to you, your wish is my command. I beseech you to tell me what you want, and you shall have it. I would love to show you the world. I would take you to Paris tonight if I could, but I am limited to the vicinity of your home until you are of age."

I was overwhelmed by his impassioned speech. If I understood him correctly, he was talking about two years into the future, when I turned eighteen. I knew that getting emotionally attached too fast was one of the signs of a stalker. It was only our first date, so I should have been scared by what he said, or at least put off by his corny my lady line. Instead, it thrilled me to hear it, because it sounded absolutely right and true. "Have you been to Paris?"

Hunter nodded. "I have seen much of the world."

I listened in awe as he described his travels. "You've been to that many places already? No wonder you're home-schooled."

"Yes, it would have been difficult to attend school."

"It must have been hard to make friends."

He looked off into the distance and smiled. "There have been a few." He was clearly remembering good times.

I was struck by sudden jealousy as I wondered how many of those friends had been girls, and if he had kissed any of them. Then I recalled that I had kissed Josh only yesterday. Already, I couldn't imagine kissing anyone except Hunter. As if our thoughts were in sync, he asked me how many boyfriends I'd had.

"Are you reading my mind?"

Hunter laughed. "I cannot read minds, Allison. Why? Were you thinking about your boyfriends?"

"I was actually wondering about your girlfriends. Anyway, you sent me that telepathic message yesterday, and you said that you have certain abilities, so I thought reading minds was one of them."

All the humor was gone from his expression. "To answer your question, there has only been one girl in the past. I cannot read minds, but I can establish a link that allows me limited communication. That was how I was able to send you that short message."

"When did you make this link with me?"

"When I saw you at the shopping mall. It requires direct eye contact."

I certainly remembered how our gazes had locked across a crowded room. I had been stunned to see that he really existed, that he wasn't just part of a dream. There was something about that encounter in the mall that nagged at me, but I couldn't think of what it was.

"You never answered my question about your boyfriends. You said that you just broke up with one."

"He was the only one before I met you. We haven't been together very long, just since my birthday. I was at the beach with him yesterday when I got your message. It made me think I might be losing it, by the way, so thanks for that. Anyway, I broke up with him today."

"You always were headstrong and impulsive," Hunter said with an amused smile.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said. "I am very glad that you broke up with him."

I wanted to ask him about the girl he had mentioned, but I decided to leave that for another time. Had she broken up with him or had he broken up with her? Did I even want to know the story?

"What is this promise that you made to your sister?" Hunter was looking at my necklace.

"Oh that." I touched the cross with my free hand. "Alex gave me this for my birthday and made me promise to wear it all the time. I don't know what's gotten into her lately."

"She loves you, and she wants you to be safe. Many people believe that crosses offer protection."

"Do you believe that?" An image was in my mind of the Hunter in my dream telling me to remove the necklace.

He regarded me thoughtfully. "I believe that you do not need it. I would never let any harm befall you."

"You're my hero," I said, laughing, but his expression darkened. "Hunter, what's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing." His smile returned. "Are you hungry? Would you like me to take you to a restaurant?"

"I already ate dinner, but you can get something if you want. I could use something to drink, though."

We began to walk back to the car, and we continued to talk about our lives. Hunter asked me about school and my friends, and he listened intently to every word. I knew there was nothing fascinating about my life, but I never once saw his attention wander. I guessed it was because his life had been so different from mine. When I asked what his guardian did that required so much travel, he just answered business. He assured me that he was here for good now, and that he wouldn't be going on anymore trips with his guardian.

At the restaurant, we both ordered colas. I sipped mine while we talked, but Hunter didn't touch his. The waitress looked annoyed until he gave her a tip that was much more than the total of our bill. She smiled at us and told us to come back again.

"You didn't have to come here just because of me," I said as we walked out into the parking lot.

"Did I not tell you that all you have to do is ask, and I will provide you with whatever you desire? Take it as your due, and do not fret about it. I enjoy the pleasure of your company."

"But aren't you thirsty? You didn't touch your drink."

A strange expression flitted over Hunter's face and was gone before I could pinpoint it. "I have many allergies to food—to numerous to name. I adhere to a special diet, but I find it easier to order something at restaurants than to deal with their annoyance. They do not like non-paying customers."

He drove me home and asked if he could pick me up at nine tomorrow night.

"Sure, but will we make it to the concert on time?"

"Yes. I hope you don't mind if we miss the opening act."

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't even be going to the show if it wasn't for you, so that's fine with me."

He walked me to my front door and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Allison."

I smiled at him. "Goodnight, Hunter. See you tomorrow."

I went upstairs to get ready for bed, but sleep wasn't on my mind. My entire life now seemed like a wonderful dream.


	11. The Concert

The Concert

I dreamed of death. It was all around me, and I fought weakly to escape its grip. I tried to walk, but I tripped over the bodies and fell to the ground. With barely enough strength to lift myself up, I began to slowly crawl, my failing heart beating in terror. It was right behind me, stalking me, but I was afraid to look back.

It took several minutes after I woke before I could free myself from the horror of the nightmare. That was definitely one dream that I hoped to forget. Gradually, my thoughts returned to my date with Hunter the previous evening, and I began to smile. His face had been the last image in my mind when I fell asleep last night.

The air conditioner was running, so I knew that it was already hot outside. We were going to spend another day at the pool. I got dressed and went downstairs to find Alex. Mom and Dad were at work, and I was in charge, which meant that I was an unpaid babysitter. Alex and Scott were sitting on the couch watching TV. I wondered what time he had come over this morning. It was now ten o'clock, and the pool didn't open until noon. I stood for a moment, looking at the kids and wondering if their friendship would turn to love when they got older. Life was unpredictable, and relationships could change in unexpected ways. I'd had a crush on Josh for awhile and had been sure that our relationship would last, but we had only been dating for a short time when I met Hunter. Now I couldn't imagine being with anyone else but him.

Alex told me that Scott had brought his swim trunks with him, so he was going with us to the pool again. We all had season passes, so I only had to bring money for snacks. I ate cereal for breakfast and made sandwiches for the kids to eat lunch before we left. I wore my red bikini under a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. We walked to the pool in the sweltering heat and met Jenny there. I had already put sunscreen on Alex and Scott, so they were able to go straight into the water. I was tempted to jump in and cool off, too, but I couldn't wait to tell Jenny about my date with Hunter. She was impressed that he had gotten tickets for a sold out concert just because I happened to mention that I liked the band.

"You're lucky that he likes you so much, because you've broken all the rules."

"Rules?" I felt sticky with sweat and knew that I would have to go take a dip in the pool soon.

"You accepted a date with him on the same day that he asked you out. You told him that you broke up with your boyfriend for him. You told him that you've been dreaming about him!" Jenny was counting off my offenses on her fingers. "You've set yourself up to be taken for granted, not treated like a princess."

I had spilled the entire story to her, only omitting the part about Hunter's psychic message to me. "I don't know how to explain it, Jen. I just feel connected to him, like I can tell him anything."

She shook her head and smiled. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Hi, Allison." The voice belonged to a familiar face, a boy I knew from school.

"Hi—Mike." The name came to me at last, although I knew him only in passing. He was part of Josh's group of friends.

"Hey, Jenny." He looked at her briefly before he turned his attention back to me.

"Hey," Jenny said.

"So, I heard you and Josh broke up."

"Yeah," I said uncomfortably, hoping that he would go away.

"So." Mike looked down at the ground. "So, uh, will you go out with me?" He looked at me now and waited for my answer.

I couldn't believe this was happening, and I looked at him in bewilderment. "I'm sorry, but I have a boyfriend."

"Already? Damn, that's cold. Shows how much you care about Josh."

Guilt made me snap at him. "You're one to talk! Aren't you supposed to be his friend?"

"That's how I knew you broke up." Mike shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying." He started to turn away, then looked back at me. "Nice bikini." Then he stopped to talk to the pretty lifeguard on his way back to his seat.

"I told you that bikini was perfect for you," Jenny laughed.

"Let's go in the water for awhile. I'm sweating buckets."

"So, Hunter is your boyfriend. Does he know that? You said that he hasn't even kissed you yet. Remember, your dreams don't count." Jenny kept talking as we walked toward the pool.

"Ahh," I said in appreciation as I stepped into the water. "Tell me about your date with Andrew. Where did you go last night?" I was no longer in the mood to talk about Hunter. The exchange with Mike had upset me quite a bit. I had always viewed myself as a nice person, but what I had done to Josh wasn't nice. I had dropped him as soon as I found someone that I liked more than him. Yet, I couldn't help the way I felt about Hunter.

Although we stayed at the pool for several hours, Alex and Scott still begged to stay longer. I told them that we would be back tomorrow if it didn't rain, and that we had all summer to go swimming.

"Invite Hunter to come with us," Jenny said. "I'd like to meet him."

"Okay, and I told Stephanie we'd get together sometime. Is it okay if I ask her, too?"

"Sure. We'll have a blast this summer! Have fun at the concert tonight."

I was sweating again as we walked home, but I decided to wait until after dinner to take a shower. I would be getting ready for my date then anyway. I was glad that Alex was invited to Scott's house for dinner, and I hoped that she wouldn't be home before Hunter came to pick me up. The last thing I needed was for her to say something freaky in front of him. I was just about to begin blow drying my hair after my shower when Mom came knocking on the bathroom door to tell me that Josh wanted to see me.

I set the hair dryer down and opened the door. "Is he still on the phone? Couldn't you tell him that I'm not home?"

"He's here."

"He's here?" I repeated in disbelief.

"He wouldn't come in the house. He wants you to come outside and talk to him. He already knows you're home. Do you want me to tell him to come back another time?"

"No, I'll be right down. Let me just put some clothes on." I padded into my room and hastily changed out of my robe and into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. The clock read seven-thirty, so I still had plenty of time before Hunter was supposed to pick me up for the concert.

I went outside and saw Josh standing beside his car. His stony expression didn't change as I walked toward him. "So, Allison. Getting ready for a date with your new boyfriend?" He gestured toward my wet hair.

I swallowed nervously. "Josh—"

"You were cheating on me?"

"No, I—"

"Don't lie to me!" Josh exploded.

"I wasn't cheating."

"Do you think I'm stupid? We broke up yesterday, and today you already have a boyfriend."

"How did you—"

"Mike told me," Josh interrupted me again.

"Did he also tell you that he asked me out?" I challenged.

"He was testing you to see what you would say."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. I told him that you said you wanted to see other guys, but it was only one other guy. Wasn't it? And you were already seeing him."

I was going to deny it again, but I thought about how I had lied to Josh about going to my grandma's house and went to meet Hunter at the ice cream stand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Who is he?" Josh demanded.

"You don't know him. He doesn't go to school with us."

"Where did you meet him? How long have you been going out with him?"

"I met him at the mall on Friday. Look, Josh…" The expression on his face made me stop talking.

"You mean this past Friday?" he asked incredulously. "You're telling me that you broke up with me over a guy you met three days ago?"

I was at a loss as of what to say. "I…" I trailed off again and looked helplessly at him.

Josh's eyes narrowed. "Who is this guy?"

"I have to go. I'm sorry, Josh." With that, I spun around and hurried back into the house to finish getting ready for my date with Hunter.

By the time he arrived to pick me up, I had calmed down considerably. I had decided to wear my favorite pair of jeans and a t-shirt emblazoned with the name of the band we were going to see. The day's heat dissipated with the setting sun, and the evening was a comfortably cooler temperature. The concert was being held in an indoor arena anyway. Hunter was also wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I was looking out the window when he pulled into the driveway and rushed out to meet him, breaking another of Jenny's dating rules. As he drove, he asked me about my day, and I found myself telling him everything.

"Do not worry about Josh. This is only a passing disappointment, as your courtship was brief. He did not declare his love for you, nor you for him."

"No," I agreed. "It wasn't that serious."

He smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. "Selfishly, I am happy, for his loss is my gain. Have I told you how lovely you look tonight?"

"I—thank you. You look great, too, but then you always do. So, um, how was your day?"

"It was alright, but it is better now that I am in your company."

"Would you like to come to the pool with us tomorrow? You could meet Jenny, and it would be fun to hang out all day."

"I am sorry, Allison, but I work during the day. Also, I avoid the sun, because I burn easily."

I had noticed before that he had very fair skin for someone with such dark features. "Where do you work?"

"The Hillhaven Nursing Home."

This surprised me. "You work at a nursing home?"

Hunter glanced at me with an amused smile before he returned his eyes to the road. "You do not understand why I would choose employment there?"

I chose my words carefully. "It doesn't sound very—exciting."

His expression was serious now. "Some of these people have no one, and they are lonely. Others have family that never visits them, and they feel they have been forgotten. I have tried to bring some small measure of comfort into their lives."

"Hunter, that's, that's beautiful. Wow! I feel so selfish."

He smiled at me. "You are not selfish, only young."

"So are you, but you care about people so much."

"I do not deserve your praise. The truth is, I would let the whole world burn in order to be with you." He looked at me in that way that made me forget how to breathe.

He broke the spell by changing the subject. "Have you ever taken dance lessons?"

"Dance lessons? I took ballet when I was little."

"I was thinking it would be fun to take ballroom dancing lessons together. I would very much like to dance with you. What do you think?"

I was astounded by his offer. Romantic visions of the two of us dancing in our finest clothes filled my head. "I think it sounds wonderful."

"Then I shall make the arrangements."

I thought that we would have to park far away from the entrance of the concert arena, but Hunter paid for valet parking. The biggest surprise was when he escorted me to our seats, and I found out that we were in the front row. The opening band was just finishing their set as we sat down. I jumped to my feet in excitement when my favorite band walked onto the stage. Powerful energy surged through the crowd like an unstoppable ocean wave, and I was soon screaming at the top of my lungs along with many other girls in the audience. I sang along to all the songs and rocked out to the music.

Hunter had a great time, too, although he seemed to watch me more than the band. He put his arm over my shoulders, and I put my arm around his waist as we swayed to the music during the ballads. The entire experience was magical and thrilling. I was still flying high when the concert ended.

"Yeah." I pumped my fist in the air. "That was awesome!"

He grinned at me. "Your enthusiasm is delightful."

He held my hand as we followed the crowd toward the exit. When he saw the vendors selling concert shirts, he insisted on buying me one.

"You've already spent too much money on me tonight. Front row tickets to a sold out show. I don't even want to guess how much you paid for them."

"Allison, this is the last time we are having this discussion. Nothing is too much for you. It pleases me to please you, so allow me to do this for you. Choose your favorite and leave the rest to me."

Hunter held the bag with the shirt he had purchased for me while I stopped in the restroom. I also drank my fill from the water fountain before I returned to where he stood waiting for me. I offered to take the bag, thinking that he might have to use the bathroom too, but he said that he would carry it for me. We walked outside and waited for the attendant to bring his car to us. I wondered if his parents had left him an inheritance. He seemed not to give a second thought to how much things cost.

"I noticed that you didn't know any of their songs. I'll make a fan out of you yet," I teased him.

"They are new to me, but I shall study them."

I laughed. "You don't study bands. You enjoy their music. Who's your favorite band?"

"I enjoy a variety of music, from classical to modern songs from all over the world. It would be difficult to narrow it down to a single band."

I had never met anyone else like him, and the more I got to know about him, the more fascinating he became to me. He had traveled to many countries and was interested in so many things. On the way home, he asked me how many concerts I had attended. He laughed at my stories about my adventures with Jenny at past events. We'd had fun, but we had never been in the front row. All too soon, Hunter was pulling into my driveway. He parked the car but made no move to get out.

I placed my hand over his. "Thank you so much for taking me to the concert. I had a wonderful time."

"So did I. Thank you for agreeing to go with me."

We fell silent then, just looking at each other. A familiar feeling took hold of me as time ceased to matter. There was only him here with me, alone in the night, just like it had always been and always would be. Slowly and inevitably, he leaned toward me and kissed me the way he had in my dreams.


	12. The Truth In The Lie

The Truth In The Lie

"Why are you looking at me that way?" I had just finished telling Jenny about my wonderful date with Hunter, but the expression on her face was not the one I had expected to see.

"He sounds too perfect."

"Too perfect? How could he be too perfect?" We had always been thrilled for each other whenever anything good happened to either one of us. I couldn't understand why she wasn't sharing in my happiness now.

"He cares about old people. He wants to take ballroom dancing lessons with you. He's practically telling you that he's in love with you already. It sounds to me like he's picked up on everything girls like and is using it to seduce you."

"That's not true," I protested. "He was even the one who ended our kiss last night. He's been a total gentleman the whole time I've known him."

"That's how players operate. He's reading you like a book and saying everything that you want to hear." Jenny began to reapply sunscreen while she talked.

"I think he's just trying to figure out things for us to do together. With all his allergies, going out to dinner would be awkward. It's not going to be fun for him to watch me eat while he just sits there."

"He has to eat something! Maybe he's not hungry because he's taking some other girl out to dinner."

The thought of Hunter with another girl hurt me more than I wanted to admit. "I can't believe you! Some people do have allergies to all kinds of food."

"Allison, think about it. How many guys do you know who would even bring up ballroom dancing, let alone want to pay for lessons?"

"Hunter is different from other guys. He's seen more of the world than most people, and he's more—classy. That doesn't mean he's a player."

Jenny wouldn't let it go. "Other guys have fair skin, too. He doesn't have to stay out all day. He could put on lots of sunscreen and hang out with you in the sun for just a little bit."

"I already told you, he works during the day. So does your boyfriend, which is why he's not here either."

She sat up and leaned toward me excitedly. "Let's go visit Hunter at work."

"I'm not going to spy on him!"

"I've stopped by to see Andrew at work before. Going to visit your boyfriend is not spying. If he likes you as much as he says he does, he'll be happy to see you."

Despite my denials, she had succeeded in infecting me with her suspicions. Doubt had crept in to destroy my blissful mood. I wasn't completely sure about going to see him at work, but Jenny didn't wait for me to agree with her.

"Alex! Scott! It's time to get out," she yelled.

They either didn't hear her or were ignoring her. "I'll get them," I said.

Alex complained bitterly about having to get out of the pool. She was really mad when she found out the reason we were leaving early. "Can't you guys go and leave us here?"

"No way. Mom would kill me if she knew I left you here alone."

"Then don't tell her, stupid."

"Stop being a brat or I won't bring you back here at all."

She glared at me as Jenny, who was the cause of the trouble, tried to smooth things over by buying them ice cream bars from the concession stand. We waited about a half hour for the kids to dry off, during which time it began to get cloudy.

"See? It might rain anyway."

Alex just rolled her eyes at Jenny. We gathered up our things and followed her to her dad's car. He worked from home most of the time and often let her borrow his car.

She turned on the GPS. "What's the name of the nursing home?"

"Hillhaven." Despite the purpose of our trip, I was starting to get excited about seeing Hunter again.

Jenny followed the directions on the GPS, and it led us to a lovely place set on spacious, well-kept grounds. Elderly people sat on benches beneath trees shading a path where some people walked, and others were being pushed in wheelchairs by attendants. We walked through the front doors into a lobby that rivaled a fine hotel.

"May I help you?" A tall, brunette woman with a friendly smile immediately greeted us.

"We're here to see Hunter Caldwell," Jenny answered. "He's a friend of ours."

"I'm sorry. Hunter is no longer with us."

"He's not?" I asked.

"He actually said goodbye to us a few days ago. Didn't he tell you that he was moving?"

"We don't really know him that well," Jenny said. "See, Allison here has a crush on him, and we found out that he worked here, so…"

"He is cute, isn't he?" The woman winked at me. "We're going to miss him around here. He was a dedicated volunteer."

"A volunteer?" I repeated. "You mean he worked for free?"

"Yes. I'm Stacy, by the way. You wouldn't have found him here at this time anyway. He only came in during the evening hours, but he would sometimes stay almost until dawn."

I avoided Jenny's meaningful look. "Volunteers stay that late? Isn't everyone sleeping?"

"Some of our residents have Alzheimer's and are up at all hours. They need constant care, because they get confused and forget where they are and what they are doing. To answer your question, Hunter was the only volunteer who stayed that late. Such a nice young man."

The front door opened, and an attendant came in pushing a white-haired old lady in a wheelchair. She smiled at us, and Stacy introduced her as Rose.

Jenny approached her. "Nice to meet you, Mrs.?"

"Call her Rose. She's always insisted that we use her first name."

"Never did believe in putting on airs," Rose confirmed.

"She was Hunter's favorite. He was so good with her."

"Do you know Hunter?" Rose asked.

"Allison's in love with him." Alex pointed at me.

"I was in love with him once myself." Rose's faded blue eyes were lively with remembrance. "I was a great beauty in my day. No man could resist me until I met him. He was pining for some girl who had broken his heart. Never did get over her. Still, we became fast friends. Painted the town red, we did. Of course, his name was Henry back then. No matter. He's still the same man, a man like no other."

Stacy noticed the shocked look on my face. "He must resemble this man from her past. She sometimes gets confused and calls him Henry."

Rose was eager to continue her story. "One day, he told me he was moving away. I knew why he had to leave, but we never spoke of it. No need, really. We kept up a correspondence through the years. He wrote me the most wonderful letters. After my fifth husband left me penniless—a hopeless gambler he was, dear foolish man—I scraped by until my health began to fail. My son put me in that terrible institution."

Stacy shuddered. "The place she was in has a bad reputation for being understaffed. There have been allegations of neglect."

"Henry came back and rescued me. He pays for me to stay here."

"Does Hunter really pay her bills?" She was getting to me. I was now confusing Henry and Hunter, too.

"It's all taken care of through a lawyer, and the donor is anonymous." Stacy smiled. "I like to think it's one of her admirers from her youth. I've seen pictures of her when she was young. She must have turned quite a few heads. If this Henry is still alive, it could very well be him."

"Come back tonight. Hunter will be here."

Stacy gave her a sympathetic look. "He moved away. Remember when he said goodbye?"

"That was just for show. He still visits me every night, because I'm his friend. He promised never to leave me again."

I looked at Stacy, but she shook her head. "Impossible. The doors are locked at night, and we have excellent security. Nobody gets in or out without us knowing about it."

"You don't know everything," Rose said with a secretive smile. "I'm sleepy," she said in the next breath.

We said goodbye to her, and the attendant took her to her room. Stacy watched them leave and turned back to us. "She was in one of her lucid states. The poor dear has Alzheimer's, so she gets mixed up sometimes."

"Well, thanks for talking to us." I was feeling very mixed up myself.

"How old is that lady?" Alex was still looking thoughtfully in the direction that Rose had gone.

"She's ninety years old. Looks pretty good for her age, doesn't she?"

After we said our goodbyes and left Hillhaven, I waited for Jenny to say I told you so. She had been right about Hunter lying to me. I looked at the dark clouds in the sky and wondered what he did all day.

"I don't know what to think, Allison. He lied to you, but the whole thing with him volunteering is so nice. I thought he was making up that story about working in a nursing home. It sounds like he quit after he met you."

My cell phone rang, and I looked at the caller ID. "It's him!" I answered it before Jenny could say anything. "Hi."

Hunter said hello and proceeded to ask me if I wanted to go to a movie this evening. He waited for my answer as the silence stretched. "Allison?"

"I'm not really in the mood for a movie. I actually want to talk to you."

"Alright. I will pick you up at—"

"Right now. I want to talk to you right now. Face to face."

"What has happened?" The concern in his voice grated on my nerves.

"Can I see you?"

"I can drop you off. What's his address?"

"Jenny's driving me. She needs your address." Now I was the one left waiting.

I was debating if I should hang up on him when he startled me by finally speaking the address. He started to say something else, but I cut him off. "See you soon." Then I hung up on him.

"Don't worry. I'll stay with the kids until your parents get home. Call me if you need me to pick you up."

"Okay, thanks."

"I'm sorry, Allison. I should have just stayed out of it. Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes," I said. "I'm going to be fine." I watched the darkening clouds and knew that a storm was moving toward us. I wondered if we would make it to Hunter's house before it hit.


	13. Alone

Alone

Lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a loud crash of thunder. Jenny turned onto Hunter's street as raindrops began to pelt the windshield. I don't know what I had expected, but he lived in an ordinary middle class neighborhood. Just as we found the right address, the rain really started coming down hard.

"I'll call you later," I said as the car came to a stop in his driveway.

"Aren't you going to wait for it to die down?" Jenny asked when I opened the passenger door.

I didn't care about the rain or what I would look like when I faced Hunter. I was burning to talk to him immediately, and I flung myself out of the car. He opened the front door as I ran through the downpour toward the house. I was completely soaked in seconds and dripping water everywhere as I stepped through the door.

"You must remove those wet clothes. I shall show you to—"Hunter broke off in shock as I pulled my shirt over my head.

"It's okay. I've got my bikini on." I handed him my wet shirt, took my phone out of my pocket, and pushed my shorts down my legs.

"Allison!" He quickly turned his back to me.

I went around to face him and handed him my shorts. "Can you go hang those up in the bathroom and bring me a towel?" I could tell that he was trying very hard to keep his eyes on my face.

"I cannot—you cannot disrobe in front of a man in such a manner." He was so flustered, it was like I was standing naked before him.

"You said I should take my clothes off." I couldn't believe I was flirting with him after everything that had happened.

"With the proper privacy afforded to you."

"What's the big deal? I wore this to the pool today. You're not the first guy to see me in a bikini."

His mouth opened and closed, and he walked off without another word. He returned with several towels. "Please cover yourself."

Well, if he was planning to seduce me, he wasn't doing a very good job of it. I gave him my phone to hold for me as I took one of the towels and wrapped it around my body. My legs were still bare, and I saw Hunter look at them before he led me into the sparsely furnished living room. It contained a couch and a TV and nothing else, not even a coffee table. Heavy drapes covered the windows, and the only illumination came from the overhead light.

He noticed me staring at the nearly empty room. "We were always away until recently, so we have yet to furnish the house." He set my phone down on the TV stand next to the TV, but continued to hold onto the rest of the towels.

"Where's your guardian?"

"Traveling for business." He remained standing until I sat down.

"Is she, or is it a he, a friend or relative?" I took another towel from him to wipe my face.

Hunter looked away for a moment and then returned his gaze to my face. "He is a family friend."

Seeing him uncomfortable and nervous as he sat awkwardly with the remaining towels on his lap was endearing, and I couldn't help softening toward him a little. "So, I went to see you at Hillhaven today."

"I see."

I waited for him ton explain himself, but he regarded me in silence. "That's all you have to say? You lied to me, Hunter."

"I did work there."

"I know. I talked to Stacy and Rose."

"Rose?" He looked alarmed now.

"I want to know why you lied. Are you going out with some other girl?"

"Another girl," he said flatly and looked at me like such a thing had never occurred to him. "How could you even think that?"

"You said that you work days, but they said that you were only there in the evenings before you quit. It doesn't take a genius to know that you lied to me because you don't want to see me during the day."

"That is not the reason."

"Then what is the reason? What are you doing every day?"

"Sleeping." His answer was the last thing I expected to hear.

"All day?" I searched his dark eyes, but I couldn't tell if he was lying.

"Fitfully, for short stretches of time. I suffer from terrible insomnia, which precludes a full night's sleep. By morning, I am exhausted and not fit for company."

"Why didn't you tell me that instead of lying that you're at work?" I dropped the second towel onto my lap, and his eyes followed the motion before quickly returning to my face.

"I was afraid that knowing about my many afflictions would make you decide I am not worth the trouble."

I was offended. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

"We have only just met, and I am unsure of your affections."

"If we're going to be together, you have to tell me the truth. We can deal with problems together. That's what a real relationship is. I told you before that you don't have to try to impress me."

Hunter's beautiful smile took my breath away. "I cannot believe my good fortune in finding you."

The warm affection that I had felt toward him last night was coming back. "I like you, too. There is no reason to lie to me about anything. I want to know you and share everything with you, the good and the bad. So, no more lies, okay?"

His smile looked kind of sad all of a sudden. "Okay."

"Have you been to a doctor for the insomnia?"

"Nothing helps." He was eager to change the subject. "Our dancing lessons begin tomorrow evening, if you are still interested in going with me."

"Absolutely." It sounded incredibly romantic, and a dreamy image of dancing in his arms flitted through my mind. Being with him felt so right, so perfect, that I was filled with a wondrous, fizzy delight. On a whim, I hopped up and carelessly dropped the towels onto the couch. "I want to see your house."

He forgot to look at my face and then quickly averted his eyes. Without waiting for him, I turned and walked out of the room. I passed the front entrance and continued in the other direction into the kitchen. There were no curtains on the window, so I could see the room clearly in the gray light of this overcast day. The previous owners had obviously taken the stove and the refrigerator with them, because those appliances were gone, and they had not been replaced. Hunter came up behind me, but I ignored him as I opened the cabinets and found them bare. There were no plates, no pots or pans, and even no drinking glasses. Wordlessly, I turned to stare at him.

He had left behind the towels he had been holding and was now shoving his hands into his pockets as he looked at the floor. Then his gaze came up to meet mine. "There is a special place where I go to dine."

"What place? Is it like a vegan restaurant?"

"Something like that." He glanced at the window.

"We could go there together sometime."

"It is an acquired taste." His gaze shifted to the window again. "Perhaps I should drive you home now. Your parents will be expecting you."

"Way to change the subject. I'll let it go for now, but remember what I said about sharing your life with me. And you don't always have to pay. It can be my treat sometimes."

Hunter looked affronted. "I would not hear of it."

"There is nothing wrong with a girl paying for a date. We are living in the modern world, you know."

"I am well aware of that." His look made it clear that he was talking about my bikini.

I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, if this place is expensive…"

"Money is not the issue. I want to bring you into my world, but I need time to do this. I ask you to be patient with me. I have been alone for a long time, and I was not prepared for how quickly everything would change."

"I'm not asking you to change, just to open up to me. That reminds me, did you quit your job for me?"

"Nothing is more important to me than spending time with you. I make no apologies for this." His dark eyes were now intent on my face. "Your eyes are like the color of the sky on a clear day."

I knew that I would never be able to find my way out of the depths of those eyes. He stepped forward and kissed me until I ran my hands through his thick hair and began to deepen the kiss with a growing passion. He pulled away and stepped back. "I will retrieve your clothes." His voice betrayed his calm words. He had been just as affected by the kiss as I was.

"I'll get them," I said between shallow breaths.

He followed me into the hallway. "Upstairs."

I walked up the stairs and found the bathroom. I looked behind me, but Hunter had remained on the first floor. I decided to take a peek into his bedroom and continued down the hallway. This room was furnished in the normal way with a bed, a dresser, and a nightstand. The bed was unmade, but the room was tidy. There were no clothes thrown on the floor, and there were no posters on the wall. I had to turn on the light in order to make out the details, because the window was hidden behind heavy drapes. I saw his cell phone on top of the dresser. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't stop myself from checking his contacts to see how many girls' phone numbers he had. There was only one contact saved in his phone. I was unable to move for several minutes as I clutched the phone and stared at my name.

He was waiting for me in the living room and looked at me in surprise as I swept in still dressed in only my bikini. We stood almost eye to eye, as he was only about an inch taller than me. He opened his mouth to speak, but I silenced him with a kiss so intense that the passion in my dreams was only a pale imitation. He kissed me back with a fervor he hadn't shown until now. His hand came up to cup my face. As we continued to kiss feverishly, his hand slipped down my neck and toward my chest. He broke the kiss as he cried out in pain and snatched his hand back as if he had been burned.

"What?" I gasped.

"He was breathing heavily, too. "Your necklace poked me."

I removed the necklace and dropped it on the TV stand next to my cell phone. Then I tried to return to his embrace, but he stepped away from me. "Allison, it is not proper for you to be here alone with me."

"Why are you so worried about what's proper?" I had a strong sense of déjà vu. It seemed to me like we'd had this argument before, even though I knew we hadn't.

"Must you always tempt me so?" Electricity sparked between us as his eyes drank me in, his gaze traveling the length of me and arriving back on my flushed face.

I took a step toward him, and he fled the room. Only then did I come back to my senses and wonder what I was doing. Jenny had warned me that Hunter was trying to seduce me, but it seemed to be the other way around. When he returned with my damp clothes, I was too embarrassed to say anything. I remembered to put my necklace back on along with my clothes. Then I grabbed my cell phone and went to find him standing in the doorway of the kitchen and looking at the window. It was no longer pouring, but it was still raining steadily. The sun was still hidden behind a heavy cover of clouds.

"Ready?" Hunter asked me.

"Yes." I stepped outside first, and he locked the door behind us and hurried to open the passenger door for me.

He drove in tense silence, keeping his eyes on the road except when he glanced at the sky several times. I watched him and wished that I could think of something to say to lighten his mood. I didn't find my voice until he pulled into my driveway. "Would you like to come in?"

He looked at the sky again. "I had better go."

"Are you coming back later? We could still go to a movie." I played anxiously with my hair, worried about what he thought of me now.

The way he looked at me made my pulse race again. "I think we should wait until tomorrow to see each other again. Our dance lesson begins at nine o'clock. I shall pick you up at eight-thirty tomorrow evening, if that is alright with you."

"Yes. I'll be ready." I was able to smile at him now that I knew we were okay.

His warm smile reassured me even more. "I look forward to it." He glanced at the sky again and grew serious. "If anything should happen to me, I want you to know that I have not been this happy since before my parents died. Until you came into my life, my existence was merely passing time."

"What do you mean if something happens to you? Hunter, you're scaring me!"

"If I were to have an accident."

"Don't think that way. Listen, just call me when you get home. Okay?"

"I will." He leaned in and gave me one last, lingering kiss.

I got out of the car not caring about the rain. I felt ready to begin dancing now, so caught up was I in this wonderful, romantic dream. Hunter watched me walk to my front door and waved to me before he drove away. I had to knock on the door, because I had given Jenny my key before she dropped me off at Hunter's house. She would be waiting for me to call her and tell her what had happened. First, I was going to wait for him to call me when he arrived home. I wasn't worried. I just wanted to hear his voice again. With the optimism of youth, I was sure that nothing bad would happen.


	14. Warnings

Warnings

"Why wouldn't he have his guardian on his contact list?"

I hadn't thought about that. To me, the fact that I was the only person on Hunter's contact list proved that I was special to him. I had been eager to tell Jenny how wrong she was to accuse him of being a player. He had no other girls' phone numbers saved in his cell phone. The only thing that had bothered me for awhile had been his empty kitchen. What did he do when he got thirsty? I had decided that he must keep either disposable cups or water bottles somewhere in the house. I hadn't mentioned this strange situation to Jenny.

"I don't know, but he's sure not a player. He didn't even try to make a move on me the whole time we were alone in his house." I was thinking about how scandalized he had been to see me in my bikini.

"So, insomnia, huh? Has he been to a doctor?"

"He says it didn't help. Oh, Mom's calling me down to dinner." I pulled my cell phone away from my face and shouted that I would be right there.

"Okay," Jenny said when I returned to our conversation. "I have to go, too. Andrew's taking me out to dinner. Call me tomorrow."

I wondered again about which restaurant Hunter frequented, and if he would ever take me there with him. I was curious to see what he was allowed to eat. He had been true to his word and called me when he arrived home. His voice had sounded intimate in my ear after the many kisses we had shared that day, and I was looking forward to dancing with him tomorrow. I was going to just chill at home tonight, but my grandma had other plans. She wanted Mom to drop us off at her house after dinner, and she would drive us home in the morning.

Sleeping over Grandma's house hadn't been fun for me since I was Alex's age. "Do I really have to go, too?"

"You haven't seen your grandmother for awhile, and you said that you don't have a date tonight. It's the perfect time to visit."

"Okay, Mom, I'll visit, but do I have to sleep over?"

"C'mon, Allison. It'll be fun. She can read our fortunes, and we can make cookies."

Alex's excitement didn't win me over, but I had no excuse to get out of it. It was only the one night, and I had no other plans. After dinner, I packed my nightgown, my toothbrush, and a change of clothes. Mom drove us to Grandma's house and came in with us to talk for awhile. She turned down her mother's offer to read her cards and told her that she shouldn't be filling our heads with such things. Unlike Dad, however, she never actually went so far as to call it nonsense. I couldn't see the harm in it, since it was all just for fun. After Mom left, we made chocolate chip cookies, which brought back good memories of special times with Grandma. I began to relax and enjoy myself while I chatted with her.

Alex was the one who told her about Hunter. "He wants to marry Allison."

I rolled my eyes. "We just started dating."

"Another lady was in love with him, but he was in love with Allison." Alex was licking the leftover cookie dough from the bowl.

Grandma looked at me quizzically. "Do tell. Did he break some poor girl's heart over you?"

"It's okay. She's old now, even older than you," Alex said with her usual tact.

Grandma was no longer amused. "How old is this man?"

"He's only seventeen. She's got it all mixed up. He used to work at a nursing home, and a lady there sometimes forgets and thinks he's someone she knew when she was young."

"I know!" Alex's eyes widened in excitement. "I bet he has a time machine. She said he came back, so that's why she's old and he's not. He came here to find Allison."

I marveled at her imagination. "Even if time machines did exist, that doesn't make any sense. How could he look for me if he doesn't know me?"

"I don't know, but he was looking for you. He wants to take you away, but I won't let him."

Incredibly, Grandma looked worried. "What do you know about this boy?"

"I can't believe you're taking anything she says seriously. Alex is just being Alex."

"Let me read your cards." She went to get her tarot cards, and we sat down at the kitchen table.

She handed me the deck and told me to shuffle the cards. My thoughts were occupied with the delicious smell of the cookies in the oven as I absently shuffled the cards. I watched her spread the cards out before her. Every card had a picture on it, and Grandma knew what they were all supposed to mean. I waited for her to tell me my fortune, but she stared silently at the cards. When she finally looked at me, she seemed even more worried than before.

This time when Alex spoke, the effect was creepy rather than ridiculous. "You feel it too, don't you, Grandma? Something's wrong."

"Allison, why don't you stay here with me for a couple weeks?"

"Why? What do the cards say?" I looked at them, but I didn't understand what they meant.

"They are warning you to be careful. I don't like what I see here, and I think that you should avoid going out for awhile."

"But it's summer vacation!" I took a calming breath and tried not to show how freaked out I was by the things they had said. Of course, I wasn't going to live in fear over some silly fortune telling trick. Dad was right that it was all nonsense. "I have a date with Hunter tomorrow. Sorry, Grandma, but I'm not staying here for that long."

She nodded. "I didn't think you would, but I thought I'd ask. Just please be careful. Don't do anything rash, and make sure your parents know where you are."

The timer beeped, and I was able to shake off the atmosphere of foreboding as I stood to go take the cookies out of the oven. "I will. Hunter and I are taking dance lessons, so I think the biggest danger would be if I step on his foot or twist my ankle."

Grandma dropped the subject, and we enjoyed the cookies and the rest of the evening. She didn't bring it up again until the next morning after breakfast while Alex was in the bathroom. "Allison, I want you to know that you can call me anytime, day or night, if you need help. If you don't feel comfortable calling your parents, you can always call me. Even if you just have a bad feeling. Especially if you have a bad feeling. Don't ignore it."

I gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Grandma. I will, but please stop worrying. Everything will be fine. You'll see."

Alex came out of the bathroom, and we got ready to go home. After Grandma dropped us off, I called Jenny and we decided to go shopping for a skirt to go with the blouse she had bought me for my birthday. Alex wanted to go to the pool with Scott and his babysitter.

The girl got on the phone with me and insisted that it was no bother. "It's actually easier for me if he has someone to play with."

We left Alex at Scott's house, and she promised to call me when they were done at the pool. Jenny insisted on browsing through every clothing store at the mall before I made my decision. I now had a pretty new outfit to wear to my first dance lesson with Hunter.

Jenny was back to being excited for me. "When can I meet him?"

"Hopefully soon."

"Maybe we can all go to a movie together—you, Hunter, me, and Andrew."

"That would be great. I'll ask him tonight." I strolled happily toward the exit with Jenny.

"I was thinking, want to take the kids to the beach tomorrow for a change?"

"Good idea," I said. "Do you mind if I invite Stephanie? I promised her we'd get together more this summer."

"No problem. She seems like a fun person. I've seen her at Andrew's games, and we've talked a little."

Jenny drove me home and came up to my room to see me try on my new skirt and blouse together. I set the skirt on my bed and opened my dresser to take out the top.

"Oh, my God!"

I turned to see her gaping at my painting of Hunter. I had forgotten that she had never seen it before.

"You painted this before you met him?" She glanced at me and returned to staring at Hunter's likeness.

"Yeah. Remember I had that dream about him." My eyes were now drawn to the image on the canvas, too.

"That's amazing. From what I remember, this looks a lot like him. I almost forgot how gorgeous he is."

It looked exactly like him, every detail. The only difference was the extremely old-fashioned clothes he was wearing in the painting. No wonder Alex had come up with the time machine idea. The thought of him traveling through time to find me was very romantic, but it was too far-fetched for me to even consider. I tried on my outfit, and Jenny declared it perfect. Alex called me shortly after she left, and I walked to the pool to get her. When we arrived home, I went across the street to invite Stephanie to go to the beach with us the following day.

After dinner, I took a shower and began to get ready for my date with Hunter. This was turning out to be a wonderful summer for me, and I was as happy as I had ever been. My unease from the strange scene at Grandma's house had completely faded away. I gazed at my reflection in the mirror and admired the white blouse and white skirt I was wearing. They went so well together that it was hard to believe they hadn't been purchased at the same time. I decided that Jenny was a perfect fit for the fashion world. Not only did she look good in clothes, but she always knew how to put together the perfect outfit.

Since it was such a beautiful evening, I decided to wait outside for Hunter. Stephanie was out walking her dog, and she came over to talk to me. We were still standing together on the sidewalk when Hunter pulled into my driveway. As soon as he stepped out of the car, Oscar ran across the street and into Stephanie's backyard. She didn't seem to notice that her dog was gone, as she stood silently riveted by my boyfriend. Her eyes followed his every move as he walked toward us. I wondered if I had looked just as entranced when I first saw him at the mall.

"Hi, Hunter." Stephanie had no reaction to the sound of my voice. I might as well not have been there, for all the attention she paid to me. "This is Stephanie. Stephanie, this is my boyfriend, Hunter."

"Hello, Allison. You look lovely." He smiled at me. Then he turned toward Stephanie and extended his hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Stephanie."

His voice seemed to get through to her. She blinked. "Wha? Oh, um." She finally became aware of my presence.

I saw the question in her eyes. "This is my boyfriend, Hunter," I repeated.

"Hunter." She said the word as if she was learning a foreign language. Then she noticed that he was still waiting to shake her hand. "Nice—nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine." He let go of her hand and returned to my side. "Shall we go?"

"Where's Oscar?" Stephanie looked around in confusion.

"He went back to your yard. Stephanie, are you okay?"

She was suddenly embarrassed. "Yes, I'm fine." Her gaze returned to Hunter, and she got even more flustered. "Uh, see you tomorrow." She turned and quickly crossed the street.

I was about to make a joke about his effect on girls when I caught the pensive expression on his face as he watched her walk away. "What's wrong?"

The way he looked at me made me feel beautiful. "Nothing is wrong. Everything is right when I am with you."


	15. Into The Woods

Into The Woods

The evening began with romance.

Hunter was the perfect dance partner, and our first lesson was wonderful. Almost immediately, I could tell that he already knew how to dance. He wasn't unsure of any of the steps, and he was able to guide me while the teacher was helping other couples. We were learning the waltz, and my hand was on his shoulder as his hand pressed against my shoulder blade while he held my other hand as we stood facing each other. I stepped back as he stepped forward, and we were soon moving in sync to the box step. Our movements followed a square pattern of side, forward, side, back. Soon, I didn't need to look at my feet as I let Hunter lead me in the simple dance.

It was so much better than the awkward swaying I had done with my partners at school dances. I felt almost graceful as we began to transition into some of the basic turns that the instructor showed us. At first, I had been counting the one, two, three rhythm in my head, but now the music did its magic as I moved in step with Hunter. I could imagine gliding across the dance floor with him at a ball, like a princess in a fairytale. Dancing with him was the most romantic thing I had ever experienced. The teacher, also, had noticed that he knew the dance, so she spent more time correcting the other couples' mistakes. We got to spend more time on our own, making it feel less like a class and more like a real dance. The position we were in made it natural for us to keep looking at each other. I didn't want the hour to end.

After class, Hunter asked me where I wanted to go next. I told him to drive us anywhere that we could be alone. He put on soft music, and we didn't talk as he pulled out of the dance studio parking lot. I think we were both contentedly wrapped up in the romantic mood of our dance session. Eventually, he turned onto a back road without any streetlights and kept driving until he found a secluded spot by the woods. He turned off the car and the music and gazed at me in silence for a moment.

"Allison, I would like to share everything with you. If you will allow me to explain my circumstances, I think you will understand."

I, however, wasn't in the mood to talk. At this moment, we were alone with only the pale light of the distant moon between us and total darkness. Romance was the only thing on my mind. As far as I was concerned, we would have plenty of time to talk later.

I moved closer to him. "Hunter."

"Allison." The way he said my name told me that talking was no longer on his mind.

His lips found mine, and the first kiss was slow and tender. It was how I imagined that he would have kissed me on the dance floor. We took our time, enveloped in our own world. Sweet, unhurried kisses gradually built to fevered passion. Hunter began to kiss my neck and then stopped to look at me.

"I left it at home," I said and kissed him again.

He kissed me deeply and returned to driving me wild with a hot trail of kisses down my neck and past my throat toward my cleavage. My hands were in his thick mane of dark brown hair, and my breathing was quick and shallow. He stilled and pulled as far away from me as he could.

"Allison." The husky sound of his voice sent a sharp thrill shooting through me.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that I should have been the one to stop things before they went too far. I was so attracted to Hunter, though, that I didn't care. Once again, I was overwhelmed with a sense of déjà vu as I watched him try to regain his composure.

"There are things I must tell you." His voice was steady now. He slumped forward in the same instant that I heard glass breaking.

"Hunter!" I leaned toward him as a bright light suddenly shone in my eyes through the open window. I heard the door behind me open and felt someone grab me around the waist. I screamed as I was dragged from the car.

"Shut up," said the man with the flashlight. He had angled it toward the ground and had a gun in his other hand.

I froze in terror, my mouth going dry. The other one let go of me, but then I felt something metal pressing into my back. He must have had a gun, too. They forced me to walk into the woods as my heart pounded with fear. What had they done to Hunter? With growing horror, I realized that they had shot him. The breaking glass I'd heard had been the sound of the bullet going through the windshield.

"Told you these back roads are a gold mine for finding couples parking."

"This one is even prettier than the last one. Don't worry girlie, we're gonna have some fun. We can satisfy you better than your boyfriend."

I heard them speaking through a haze of unreality. This had to be a nightmare, just like the awful one I'd had about being surrounded by death. Please, I prayed, let me wake up now. I didn't panic until they stopped and pushed me to the ground. I began to scream, but a hand clamped over my mouth. The one who had been holding the flashlight was on top of me, pinning me down. His partner was kneeling behind my head and muffling my screams with one hand while he held my shoulder down with his other hand.

"Damn! Wish I hadn't gone first last time. She looks so innocent."

The one on top of me smirked. "Gonna find out soon."

"Hey!" His partner's shouted warning was too late to alert him to the danger.

With an inhuman growl, Hunter pulled him off of me and snapped his neck like a twig. He dropped his body on the ground and came after the second man, who was now scrambling backwards and trying to stand up. I had sat up as soon as he let go of me. I watched now as my boyfriend grabbed him and sank sharp fangs into his neck. It wasn't like the movies. Except for the fangs, his face was not that of a monster. His eyes didn't glow red or anything like that. When he turned away from the man, his mouth was not covered in blood. In a moment, his fangs receded and disappeared from sight.

"Allison." His voice was not that of a demon. It was the same voice that I knew so well. "Did they hurt you?"

"No. You stopped them." Any minute now, I would wake up.

As he moved toward me, I scooted back. "What—what are you?"

He stopped, and his expression changed from concern to anger. "I am your beloved," he thundered. "I cursed myself to this existence in order to save you. Now you shrink away from me!"

Something shifted in my mind. "Ah, Delwyn, you have gone to vanquish death, but what of me? I grow weaker with each passing hour."

He sank to his knees before me, anguish on his face. "I was too late. Forgive me, Rowena."

I now came back to myself and stared into Hunter's dark eyes. "Rowena. It wasn't a dream. You were in my room that night, and you called me that name."

"Allison, we have to go before someone finds us here." He managed to help me to my feet, but I backed out of his reach when he tried to guide me away.

I looked at the bodies on the ground. "You killed those men."

"Murderers and depraved fiends. I have killed many such as these." He walked over to the one he had drained of blood and pulled out a pocketknife to slice open his neck. "It may help to confuse the police."

"We have to call the police and report the crime." I was clinging desperately to something rational.

"They would have too many questions we cannot answer. Do you want to relive your ordeal? They can no longer hurt you or anyone else."

This time, I let him lead me away from that terrible scene. All the fight had gone out of me along with the fear. It was easier to let Hunter take care of everything while I tried not to think about it.

"They must have parked their car on that dirt road I saw nearby. I should have sensed them approaching, but I was distracted."

I said nothing until I saw the bullet hole in the windshield and remembered his slumped form. "They shot you!"

"I was stunned almost unconscious until my body could expel the bullet. That is why I was unable to protect you." His expression darkened. "I heard your screams."

I shuddered and looked again at the cracked windshield. "Can you see to drive?"

"Yes. It will not hinder my vision." He opened the passenger door for me.

I got into the car, and he walked around to the driver side and wasted no time in getting us out of there. Now that I was coming down off of all the adrenaline, I was hit by sudden exhaustion. We rode in silence, our earlier happy mood completely shattered. Dance class seemed like an eternity ago.

Hunter stopped the car, and I realized that we were in my driveway. I looked at him, and he held my gaze. "Allison, I am going to walk you to your door now. You will prepare for bed and go to sleep. You will not dream. You will sleep peacefully and awaken rested in the morning."

"Yes," I agreed.

I followed his instructions and didn't think about anything at all before I went to bed.


End file.
